A DEEP breath. For me there is such joy in these meetings and I feel so supported by, in particular, the regulars. It is also such a special thing to see how kindly and generously people share of themselves when anybody new comes along or welcoming people back who haven’t been for a while. We all need support!
Last week we had a Zoom but it was not a session to record in writing, it was a moment where accepting mentoring from somebody you also support is such a wonderful thing. A fabulous reciprocal position with no hierarchy and no hidden agenda.
As you may know we have lots of guides about suggestions for how you might do things to make them more accessible for people with dementia. One of the things we often say is stay on topic…. well we are thinking of renaming ourselves the Digressers – because we always go off on a tangent, we never stay on topic. Usually this results in quite a few chuckles and palm of hands in face….. lots of smiles.
‘On the subject of not going by the rules (or recommendations). Two people (with dementia) went to check out a possible venue for one of the DEEP 10th anniversary events. They came away saying it was friendly, cosy, homely and had a good feel about it. Yes the rooms could be lighter and the floor was a bit dodgy in places. But it felt good and it felt right. Somebody suggested (who doesn’t have dementia) that it might not be very dementia friendly. This raises the old chestnut of a question what does dementia friendly really mean? Does it mean that everywhere we go and everything we do has to be adapted to make it perfect. But that is an impossibility given such a range of needs and sometimes might it just be about offering a bit more one to one in person support in certain places? Whose vote counts on this?
DEEP in Derby continue to do their grand tour of visitor attractions in Derbyshire as part of their Dementia Enquirers project. They have just had a really successful trip to an old mill. The group felt Cromford Mill had got it right. They even had some specially adapted cutlery available if needed in their cafe.; but they do need some chairs with arms!
Springboard are struggling with COVID still and numbers fluctuate. It seems there is still anxiety about coming out to join in with groups. It didn’t stop Paul searching for Cromford Mill and planning a group outing there. He doesn’t hang about.
DEEP Vibes in Scarborough is now renamed – Coastal Dementia Pals. They have got lots of things in the pipeline including helping to create a quiet area for mindfulness in a green space. They recently attended a local DAA meeting which they found really boring! Ummm feels like there is a lesson to be learned there.
If you would like to be part of our conversations (and digressions) please contact Anna@myid.org.uk to register for a facilitators meeting.
Here is the forthcoming schedule:
