Newsletter archive:

Newsletter : August 2008

Whatever happened to AUGUST?

The months seem to race by with increasing speed so I decided to make a list of activities that we had done over the last few weeks. Apart from our usual bus trips and regular entertainers we had resident’s enjoying the following things:

• Centre of interest around the Olympic Games and following the results on TV and discussing these
• Daffodil day/week
• Feature afternoons when residents watched videos:
  Gone with the Wind
  The King and I
  Andre Rieu Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Father’s Day

Crafty items wanted

Frances has a request of families/friends that she would like any old Christmas or Greeting Cards, ribbons and gift wrap that she can use for craft work. If you have anything that would be useful please leave them in the office for Frances. She will be most grateful for your contributions.

Dictionary

How many words can you make from the letters in “Dictionary”? Currently our residents have thought of 67 words. Can you beat this number?

Visiting Residents with memory loss

This is a huge thank you to faithful family members and friends who visit regularly. You may feel undervalued if your resident forgets that you have visited, or even remarks while you are visiting that he/she is lonely.

A parent or sibling with memory loss affects the whole family. It will have become difficult trying to communicate in the way you’re used to. Probably the resident lives in the past, believing they can cope as they did when they were young. The present is lived in the moment. An experience may be enjoyed at the time, but forgotten moments later. It makes us realize that the present is a present- it is to be valued.

But the impression, the emotion of the experience stays with the resident. Your visit is worthwhile. Thank you to the folk who think of meaningful ways of spending time with their resident. I have seen the following very successful activities:

1) Bringing photos of shared experiences from the past to talk about- just a few, no more than five, and enjoy them.

2) Bring a child who can play on the playground while the resident watches.

3) Taking the resident out for a short, simple outing- not too tiring for everyone.

4) Keeping a record in a visitors book for the resident that they can look back on when you’ve gone home (print in large clear script.)

5) Teenagers can play a game of pool for Granddad to watch downstairs, or play the piano. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The other helpful thing your visit does is it shows your support to our staff. Our job can be incredibly taxing at times. But to know that the resident is valued and supported by family helps us a lot. We see the resident in the context of friends and family and this helps us care for them better.