Archive for July, 2018

Three ladies enjoying a cup of tea in the dappled shade under their Pergola, at the Lodge today.

.. and we may be quite tired a lot of the time. But we can still enjoy wearing a pretty hat and eating a chocolate, sitting in the sunshine and enjoying the full attention of another person. Those sensory pleasures become more and more important as the dementia progresses. Our ability to communicate, to think and reason is greatly affected at the later stages of dementia but our ability to experience feelings, smells, and touches persists for much longer. When I see these pictures, I see the dignity of a person who has lived a full life and who gets up every day to live another day to the full.

Katie and Kim have recently joined our care team in the Lodge and they are finding their groove. For experienced carers it sometimes takes a while to understand they are not expected to rush around ‘doing stuff’ all the time. While certain things need to get done,  our care staff are encouraged to spend quality time with the residents in our communities. 1-1 time is particularly important for people living with the later stages of dementia, which is why staffing levels are higher in the Lodge than they are in the Cottage.

Some of us are blessed with the patience to complete a large puzzle. At the Cottage today:

We’re all very proud of the English team today.