Member Article

Care staff go extra mile to grant wishes

A Hull care home is supporting its older residents by going the extra mile and granting special wishes.

Residents at Raleigh Court, which is a specialist dementia care home operated by not for profit organisation Hica Group, were recently encouraged to list their personal wishes which included trips to their old workplaces, museums and favourite restaurants.

Care and activity staff from the home made sure several wishes were granted in the run up to and during Dementia Awareness Week, which is used to raise awareness of the condition and its symptoms.

Raleigh Court resident and former fisherman Charles Ablett, who is 79 and suffers from advanced dementia, was taken to The Arctic Corsair museum, which is dedicated to the fishing boat that Charles worked on for decades.

Raleigh Court manager, Katie Daysley, said: “Our staff have been working really hard to grant the wishes of our residents, which are often visits to where they used to work or socialise. We have heard so many moving and fantastic stories about the trips.

“Many of our residents with dementia experience symptoms such as memory loss or distress, however during the visits they are very calm and can remember remarkable details and experiences. I heard Charles was telling tales of his time on the ship to the tour guides, which is something which doesn’t happen very often.”

Other wishes included playing the piano from resident Minnie Cunningham. Staff took the former musician to Hull Paragon Interchange train station to play the grand piano put there as part of the Hull City of Culture 2017 programme.

Resident Edith Jenson was taken to local pub and former work place The Dram Shop, George Street, Hull, where she and her carers enjoyed a drink and stories about her years there as a barmaid.

Chief executive of Hica, Penni Brown said: “We are very proud of our staff for going the extra mile to make residents wishes come true. Activities like this not only support residents with beneficial and enjoyable activities, they also raise awareness of dementia in the communities surrounding the homes they work in.

“Our staff use the time during Dementia Awareness Week to really support the cause and raise awareness of the condition within the local areas through a variety of activities. The efforts and dedication of the staff perfectly reflects the Shine ethos which is promoted throughout Hica.”

The aim of Dementia Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the condition to encourage earlier diagnosis in more people, allowing more time to come to terms with future symptoms.

Hica Group operates a portfolio of 19 residential care homes, five of which are for people with a learning disability, along with two retirement villages. The company also runs a home care service providing approximately 11,500 hours of support and care from four regional offices in the North of England.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Hica Group .