Several of us believe that now is the time for a much-needed dedicated person to improve care in the so called ‘social care’ sector. This would take a multi-disciplinary perspective to ensure that the social care settings have adequate knowledge, skills and behaviours to work with people with a range of long term co-existing conditions and take account of the impact on their person and their families, including end of life care, dementia and reablement.

I am hearing stories of vulnerable isolated residents in senior living apartments who are languishing in boredom and its ill effects. The use of ZOOM sessions for those people can keep them connected and provide a sense of belonging and purpose, routine and other human contact, albeit virtual. They are simple to learn for some, although not all. Increasing numbers of older people are starting to do so in the lock-down to stay connected with family members.

This is a great story about a personal journey and what compassion looks like from the individual and caring staff’s perspective - The book by JAMES DOTY is called ‘INTO THE MAGIC SHOP’. It sets out the author’s lifelong journey and his research as a surgeon and professor of neuroscience in how compassion and kindness are critical to one’s mental and physical health and longevity. The power of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, opening the heart and visualising what he wanted to manifest. We can change our hearts and minds, transform them and use them for the benefit of all. Everyone has worth and should be treated with dignity and respect and deserve second chances.

A project to MOBILISE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO USE THEIR TALENTS TO SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNTY TO LIVE WELL INTO OLDER AGE

Working together to address the challenge of Loneliness

A new approach to address loneliness in the over 65s is coming to Cranleigh in June, focusing on relationship-building within the community linking people with shared interests and activities that will make a real difference in the life of someone who is lonely, using a team of helpers to support people in different ways to light a new spark in their lives.

Met on 6th February at the RCN to discuss co-production and how expert knowledge plus lived experience are both needed to remove frustrations experienced by people living with dementia.

The atmosphere was warm friendly and engaging with people getting on with their various activities in a quiet and professional manner. I thoroughly recommend this as a place to go for those considering a community day service that reaches out to support whole families of people living with dementia as a community of friendship, education and support .

The idea was to use the game to help people to discuss experiences using an interactive conversational game. This had questions relating this topic which enabled frank conversations about issues and ideas and identify opportunities for change.

Person Centred Validation through our iCARER programme helps to respond to the emotions underlying ‘crucial moments’ with behaviour carers see as problematic as they don’t know how to prevent it or deal effectively with it when it happens. This requires a sense of vulnerability by putting ourselves into the shoes of the person and the emotions they are feeling. This needs to be taught and is essential to the quality of care provided in both care homes and care at home.

It would take imagination but what a wonderful use of unused shops and buildings I thought! Having such a place for community benefit might inspire baby boomers to look into their attics for things from their child hood years that would bring pleasure and therapeutic value to many.

My recent visit to Sweden took me to the specialist dementia home in Akarp near Malmo and Lund, not far from Copenhagen. Every time I go there is always something to celebrate. This time the manager has received a national award which was presented by none other than the Queen of Sweden .

Clinical research has been done by the NHS to help GP’s & Health Professionals adapt the way they speak to us, to help them improve their skills to positively influence people, to encourage them to act and change behaviour for themselves.

Using technology more intelligently such as telecare communication systems and monitoring of vital signs, such as the use of innovative community prevention approaches used by Care Rooms (www.carerooms.com), Smart Houses using technology to simplify lives will also be important. Involving the independent providers including the domiciliary front line workforce is essential. The intelligence they have gathered through observation and experience needs to be captured and developed further with additional skills to keep people well and independent. 

Prevention and social prescribing hope to reduce A&E pressure and hopefully adopt a more strength-based approach, working with the individual, involving them and supporting them to do what matters to them and removing barriers. It also requires a system-wide approach, with the removal of barriers, to increase the control an individual has over their own health and care,  moving towards a more personalised approach.

I have shopping on my mind as we bring Slow Shopping into the village in Surrey where I live to provide a more compassionate, slower and inclusive experience for people who find the whole thing too difficult without that little bit of extra thought or quality communication. More of this later….

The amount of choices per capita in Scandinavia are very much greater and we have a long way to go to use our own natural environments better, in creative ways that encourage the same behaviours and motivate people to enjoy going outdoors. Having somewhere to park easily and plenty places to sit and enjoy different types of apparatus outdoors prevents too much concentration in indoor gyms.

She told me ‘this money will be used on education and other important stuff for the winner. I will go abroad and learn from other countries. Maybe I will go to England!

Kindness can be developed though mindfulness and connecting with others improves our health.

It was a very different experience to working in a studio indoors. The natural light, space and exposure to the elements added a different dimension altogether and gives a sense of great wellbeing.

If you’d like to take part in a free training session please contact SMART Cranleigh on info@smartcranleigh.org As soon as we have enough people for another session, we’ll make arrangements and get back to you with some possible dates.

It’s surprising what we can do when we pull together as a community and focus on positivity … and making life a bit easier for each other, and for ourselves!!