DEMENTIA
loss, necessitates an individualised and specialist care plan. We work closely with residents and families to understand who our residents are as individuals in order to provide a care plan which reflects distinct manifestations of dementia.
“With a shared history of working at sea, residents can share similar memories and feel
comfortable surrounded by those who share an understanding of their former lifestyles.”
Some of our residents have spent a large part of their lives at sea and, as such, are accustomed to an independent lifestyle in an oſten isolating environment. We tailor our dementia care towards an awareness of these predispositions, which enables us to provide the best possible care to those who live with us.
We are proud of the community we serve so we seek to create an inviting and familiar place with a community feel for our likeminded residents. With a shared history of working at sea, all of our residents can share similar memories and feel comfortable surrounded by those who share an understanding of their former lifestyles and working lives.
We hold various open days and events throughout the year, most notably for Seafarers Awareness Week, during which the Society invites local schools to join the home for the day to join in with sea shanty songs and other festivities. The Society has a rich connection and history with many other seafaring societies, most notably Seafarers UK and Trinity House. It is relationships like these which enhance the seafaring community feel at Royal Alfred.
Our activities are not just tailored towards the single goal of remembering; we always seek to emphasise comfort above all else with loose schedules and everyday activities. Completing simple tasks can create a sense of achievement where everything else in a dementia resident’s life may feel disorienting and confusing.
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To complement our calendar of diverse activities, we ensure there is a daily agenda which can be freely interpreted by our residents. This allows plenty of time for everyday tasks to be completed in order to prevent these from feeling daunting or unachievable. At Belvedere House we have suggested mealtimes to allow our residents with dementia to find some structure in their days. However, we encourage our residents to eat where they like and when they like. With regular menu tastings and seasonal meals choices, it’s important that our residents feel in control of their habits.
Encouraging these habits not only creates a comfortable environment for our residents it also encourages a consoling atmosphere for friends and families. Achieving simple domestic activities also means the residents begin to see Belvedere House as a home and, with that, are able to seek some familiarity in their settings.
We strive to make our care facilities an all-encompassing home from sea. With an onsite hairdresser and bar, we encourage residents to find independence within the safe environment of our Weston Acres site. Through familiar pastimes and the freedom to interact with visiting guests, such as the hairdresser, we hope to increase confidence and self-esteem amongst our residents. We are very keen to provide our residents with the familiar surroundings to be able to interact with new people independently.
It may be a small thing but the way the home is decorated and furnished even has an at-sea touch designed to make our residents feel at home. The unique touches of compasses decorating the floors, a binnacle and a one –of-a-kind fish tank piano mean our residents are never far from the sea. Alongside these features, we also have individual memory boxes containing items personal to each resident in order to identify their rooms as their own.
Music is a powerful tool for stimulating memories and creating comfort in something recognisable. The Alzheimer’s Society suggests ‘music and singing can be very powerful ways to relive memories’. It is interactive and emotive whilst providing a clear time
frame for remembering. This is why we have worked for the past three years with the University of Roehampton on its Music in Hospitals therapy and research. The study seeks to prove that music taste survives long aſter most memories are lost amongst those with dementia. Our involvement in music therapy has greatly improved the range of activities on offer to our residents and continues to keep our residents active with pastimes. Providing interactive activities can help with feelings of alienation and isolation amongst residents whilst reassuring families that a care home is the right step to deal with dementia’s fast progress.
“By providing residents with activities custom-
made to their background and interests, the Society can make their later
years as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.”
At RASS we balance everyday tasks with specific activities to enable our dementia patients to feel comfortable and at home whilst taking steps to reduce dementia’s impact. As it manifests in such complex ways it is important to be proactive when providing dementia care. Activities are an important way of providing this more specialised and individualised care and can make all the difference amongst both residents and their families as they attempt to confront the complexities of dementia. By providing residents with activities custom-made to their background and interests, the Society can make their later years as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.
The RASS is a maritime charity which has provided a 'safe haven' for elderly, sick and disabled seafarers from all backgrounds for more than 150 years. With a dedicated dementia wing, the Society’s Belvedere House care home offers our seafaring community specialised care.
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