National Care Home Provider Shows Support For Dementia Awareness Week
Over 850,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in 2015 and with this number expected to rise to one million by 2025, one of the UK’s leading dementia care home providers is calling for more awareness about the condition as part of the Alzheimer Society’s Dementia Awareness Week.
As part of the campaign, which takes place from 17th to 23rd May, the Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) and its 68 care homes across Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, will be organising a variety of events for residents, including healthy walks, sensory awareness days and life-story reminiscence sessions.
Events taking place include:
- The Cedars near Swindon, Wiltshire holding a Memory Café, as well as an It’s A Knockout event on the lawn, featuring an obstacle race and giant snakes-and-ladders.
- Seymour House in Chippenham, Wiltshire running an All About Me Drama Therapy session, focusing on the resident’s life stories
- The Coombs in Coleford, Gloucestershire welcoming a St. John Admiral Nurse to help share All About Me life stories.
- Grevill House near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire offering a Taste Table as part of their Sensory Day.
- Southfield House in Spalding, Lincolnshire enjoying a visit from the Spalding Ukulele Band.
- Fosse House in Lincoln organising a Health Walk around a local park.
- Isis House in Oxford hosting a ‘Roaring 20s’ reminiscence session, that includes afternoon tea.
- Stirlings in Wantage, Oxfordshire organising a sponsored walk in aid of Dementia UK, as well as a river boat trip for residents.
Dementia Awareness Week, which takes place across the UK, aims to educate people about dementia and those living with the condition so they feel valued, confident and can retain as much of their independence as possible.
OSJCT employs its own St. John Admiral Nurses who specialise in dementia. The homes offering dementia care are led by managers with a special interest and expertise in this area, and all OSJCT staff are given specialist dementia-specific training, accredited by the Alzheimer’s Society.
Dan Hayes, Operations Director for OSJCT, commented: “We’re delighted to once again be supporting Dementia Awareness Week – an initiative the Trust believes very strongly in.
“We strive to continually enhance the quality of life for all of our residents, including those that are living with dementia, so we’re excited to hold events like the reminiscence afternoons, that will not only help raise awareness but also provide our residents a chance to get involved in their local communities and meet their neighbours.”
