To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) any measures that are used to assess the quality of life of individuals living in residential care settings; (ii) whether these measures include access to meaningful activities, social engagement and community participation; and (iii) whether any assessment has been made that existing arrangements adequately capture the lived experience of residents.

Quality of life for care home residents is considered through a range of statutory, regulatory, care management and experience-based processes.

All nursing homes and residential homes are required to comply with the Minimum Standards for Residential Care Homes and Minimum Standards for Nursing Homes and associated regulations. These place a strong emphasis on person-centred care, dignity, privacy, independence, choice, rights, wellbeing and quality of life. Compliance with these standards is monitored by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) through registration, inspection and regulatory activity.

In addition, residents' needs, preferences and outcomes are assessed and reviewed through individual care planning arrangements and, where applicable, Health and Social Care Trust care management reviews. Information from residents, families, advocates, providers and care professionals contributes to understanding the quality of life and wellbeing of individuals living in residential care settings.

The Public Health Agency (PHA), through its Patient Client Experience Programme, has also undertaken work to better understand the lived experience of care home residents through its "My Home Life" initiative, which uses the 10,000 More Voices methodology to gather residents' experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.

Existing standards, care planning arrangements and inspection processes recognise that quality of life extends beyond meeting care needs. They include consideration of access to meaningful activities, opportunities for social engagement, maintaining relationships with family and friends, participation in community life where appropriate, support for cultural and spiritual needs, and the promotion of choice, independence and personal wellbeing.

The current governance framework for care homes includes a range of mechanisms designed to understand residents' experiences and outcomes, including engagement with residents and families during RQIA inspections, complaints and feedback processes, care management reviews, contract management processes, advocacy arrangements and provider quality assurance systems.

My Department recognises the importance of ensuring that the voices and experiences of residents inform service improvement and policy development. In addition to existing arrangements, the PHA's "My Home Life" initiative represents a specific piece of work aimed at capturing and analysing residents' lived experiences to support learning and improvement across the care home sector.