When visiting a care home in Sweden I was fascinated how the manager had used her staff so creatively… This involved identifying other skills and experiences that could enrich Home life for the residents, and seeking to incorporate these in their job in the care home .
The first person I met was an actor and singer with a history on YOUTUBE of Tom Jones and Elvis impersonations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QpmbtLjPro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMFEDR2GW6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9WW6zcx30g
The contact came about through serendipity. Hakan was aware of people living with dementia and others with mental health problems in his 20’s prior to doing his acting training, where he was working in mental health hospitals, working in the Social Therapy department. He is now trained as an actor and singer and is employed to work in the home, flexibly fitting alongside his acting assignments. He carries out music and exercises, outings and trips and dance in the park in the summer. Most of these activities are centred around the exploratory, inviting the playful side of the individual to be expressed.
Love me Tender: Love me True
An example of the work is the setting up of the restaurant as a pub with themed evenings for families and their relatives with the staff as a complete community joining in together. Another example is putting on a novelty tribute day to Elvis with food, popcorn, a ‘rockers radio tribute’ for Baby Boomers!
Hakan works across both Homes, one provides for people with physical disability requiring nursing care, and the other for people living with dementia. These homes are physically joined and there is some sharing of staff and facilities. He visits people in their own rooms and he took me into the room of a resident who loves fishing. ‘It is wonderful to see how these conversations bring on the ‘old manners’ of another era, helping them back to where the person wants to be’ he told me. He carries out a range of other creative mediums such as ‘lifescapes’, picture collages of places, people and interests that matter most to the resident, going with the flow, in the moment, tapping into playfulness, where possible.
At lunch time Hakan comes back and repeats his approach for residents in the pub style dining room. He is sometimes involved with other activities in collaboration with the activity co-ordinator.
‘I see people who are confident now, having the conversations that have been stimulated that they may not have otherwise’, tapping into the long-term memory and using the capabilities still present – ‘it makes them feel human’. It is about ‘normalising’ and enriching everyday life routines to make ‘magic moments’ out of the mundane.
Hakan feels that independent living has lost much wider community support and has accelerated loneliness in a society that does not have the time to notice or has no desire to get involved. Groups have become unfashionable. However, now he feels ‘the tables might be turning’ as people realise the health benefits of positive community connectivity.
‘My role here is to be sociable from 8 am and host breakfast for residents by providing a welcome and hosting to create a special moment and break the ordinary routines that so easily become ‘grey and tired’ in their ordinariness. His job is also to influence and model how to do this to other staff within the team and, at the same time match interests between people to strike up new conversations whether it be fishing, old cars or travelling. Creating friendships and developing conversational content is part of the role. Building capacity in the staff is important to instil a new culture of being.
Example of care workers using skills
One example of using the workforce smartly, is one of the staff who was formerly a tailor in his country. He is being used to develop a sewing room to include residents in related skill based activity, such as mending. This creates a sense of worth, and stimulates interests, providing an opportunity for occupational meaning using former every day dormant skills such as simple sewing related familiar tasks, in a place where people can work and enjoy task-related companionship as equals. The manager is keen to identify and use the talents and non-care related skills of her staff and is creating additional roles this enriching the experience for everyone.
Why is the use of the Arts so important to quality of life in a care home?
Use of the arts, particularly music, drama and dance are particularly powerful as it taps into the poetry of dementia and the spontaneity of response to the senses including movement memory, creative expression and sensory movement.
Living with dementia, using joyful celebration, and where people are encouraged to continue living life and ‘enjoy the moment’ playfully with others, not alone.