MENTAL HEALTH


TH NEWS


COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES BENEFIT WALFINCH HOME CARE CLIENT


and share activities with local nursery and school children, and have lunch.


Mike said: “John enjoys doing the standing or seated exercises, breathing exercises and meditation – and I join in too. Sometimes we do singing, and there are activities like craſt and games, which we can all join in with the children. It means the children enjoy time with their 'grand friends' and the older people can pass on skills and knowledge to the children.”


John said: “Mike is more like a friend than a carer and we enjoy our time together.”


Sandra explained: “Mike and John chat together and John likes taking part in the exercises and activities at Sparkle, which are good for physical health and overall wellbeing. I've seen improvements in John's condition and mood since Mike started taking him to these activities.”


John, a former pilot, has memory issues aſter a stroke, and Sandra, his wife, was looking for part-time care for him.


Activities, socialising and singing with carer Mike Giuliano have noticeably improved John's life, says Sandra.


John and Sandra didn't need the usual daily home care visits offered by care providers, as Sandra is with John most of the time, but she found that Walfinch home care Chiswick, Hammersmith and Kensington, had a flexible solution, in the form of their care team member Mike.


Mike, who started as a carer when he found he enjoyed helping older people with their shopping during the pandemic, accompanies John a couple of hours each fortnight. He takes John to Sparkle, an intergenerational community centre at St Stephen’s Church East Putney, where John and other older members help


https://www.stmichaelssouthfields.org/sparkle-together


John can do many activities for himself – he goes to a local Singing for the Brain session on his own – but for other activities he needs a bit of support, and it's a nice change for John to have some male company, explains Sandra.


The care hours are flexible, so sometimes, if Sandra is not available in the evening, Mike comes over to cook and eat with John. “John says Mike's pasta dishes are better than mine,” said Sandra.


She added: “Mike provides proper individualised care and he's genuinely interested in John.


“As a care customer you must be confident that a care provider really understands what's needed. Everyone in the team at Walfinch home care Chiswick, Hammersmith and Kensington understands what John needs and I trust them completely.”


https://walfinch.com


MUSIC LIFTS SPIRITS AT SOUTH CROYDON CARE HOME FOR STRESS AWARENESS MONTH


Music plays a big part in life at the Home. The JTC Croakers, the residents’ choir, meet twice a week to rehearse and perform. They have recently held special recitals for Burns Night and St Patrick’s Day, and are now preparing for Easter. The choir also tours the Home so that residents who can’t get to the main event still get to enjoy the music. Another powerful initiative is the Sing-A-round, where a small group of residents sing to those who are living in bed.


Susie, one of the Activities Coordinators at James Terry Court, said: “Music brings everyone together. It liſts moods and helps ease stress. We see how much it means to the residents, especially those living with dementia.”


A recent favourite is the Silent Disco, where residents wear headphones and enjoy music in their own way. This creates a calming and personal experience for everyone involved.


To mark Stress Awareness Month in April, residents and staff at RMBI Care Co. Home James Terry Court, in South Croydon, are celebrating the power of music to support wellbeing and reduce stress.


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“We also host weekly entertainers, from opera singers and violinists to pop and rock performers, so there’s always something for everyone,” added Activities Coordinator Susie. “There is also a monthly music and movement session run by the McCauleys, a couple who bring energy and fun to the group.”


www.rmbi.org.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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