The following is one of the winners from a recent competition we ran looking at end-stage dementia activities – many thanks to the team at Orchid Lawns Care Home, Steppingley, Bedfordshire. We loved that the home has a very multi-sensory approach which can take place inside and outside, in the sensory garden or new tearoom. The different activities all involve human interaction – from massage and touch, to playing music or reading out loud…
Working at Orchid Lawns, we mainly care for people with end-stage dementia and challenging behaviour. I have fought hard for end-stage activities in our home. We have a lounge which I have set up with baubles of all different sizes coming down from the ceiling, a net of lights on the ceiling, bubble tubes, aromatherapy smells, pipe music playing, and a massage tube. This stimulates the senses. I have found that residents that normally would be sleeping all day will open their eyes and look at the ceiling, seeing movement. Carers will come into the room and massage their hands and feet with nice smelling hand cream.
In the individual bedrooms, for those that are unable to come out into the communal areas, there are moving lights projected onto the ceiling and music playing on a CD player. We have also decorated some of the rooms with butterflys and bunting. Also we provide aromatherapy smells for individual preferences.
In the garden, Tesco came in and did a community project for us, so we have raised beds with different plants in them for touch and smell. In the summer we put water, pebbles and sand in other places, so people can feel the water running through their hands, the sand, and the feel of the smooth pebbles.
We have fundraised to have a Victorian Tearoom in the garden where we can take the residents to feel a different atmosphere. Here they can smell the different teas, cakes, and look at the fairy lights and bunting. This will also give them a different place to visit and feel that they have gone out to a tearoom. I have set up theme walls which change with the season.
Most of all I feel music is the key to end-stage dementia so I am always on the look out for volunteers to come and play to the residents. They bring ukuleles, piano, guitars, keyboards, and an accordion. They all produce different sounds and each musician brings something different to the residents. A choir comes, and the Cubs and Beavers come and visit and they mingle with the residents, touching their hands to let them know they are visiting.
I personally bring in a PAT dog from home. He visits regularly and it is amazing what the feel of his fur will stir up for a resident that was used to having pets at home. I will guide their hands to stroke the dog, which will sometimes cause the shedding of tears as they remember. There are also two other PAT dogs that come into the home with volunteers. I have short stories from ‘Peoples’ Friend’ that I will read to them. They are just long enough to keep the residents attention. A lot of our residents are unable to go out into the world so I try and bring the world to them. What an amazing job I have.
Thanks to Sally-Ann Eburn-Knowles
