Ross Dementia
Meeting Centre
Happy partici- pation is a key theme.
Ross DMC themes include:
Improving local dementia daycare provision by offering a better option than conventional daycare centres where carers leave their carees in the morning and collect them in the afternoon, with little insight into what occurred between.
Ross DMC is an up-to-date version of a daycare centre with important advantages. The huge difference is that carers participate in the wider aspects of the care process, which is person-centred, carer and caree based, and not a one-size-fits-all response.
Emphasis is on the opportunity for those with mild to moderate dementia to participate with their carers within a new and carefully planned therapeutic process. Independent carees are equally welcome.
Carees in DMCs experience higher self-esteem, reduced symptoms of depression, enhanced mood and behaviour, and delay in admission to residential care.
Carers enjoy and benefit from sharing the caring when, normally, it is a one-to-one activity at home. They get the benefit of chatting to other carers while their carees are busy and being looked after elsewhere. Their morale is heightened by participating with their peers, and the DMC staff/volunteers, in the care given to their loved-ones, and other carees with dementia.
We will all eat together and £5 per head per day charge will pay for a shared meal and unlimited hot and cold drinks. Any surplus will contribute to art materials and equipment.
John, left, is carer to his wife Mary in red. Jean is a volunteer and. her friend Mike is an independent caree.
The Ross DMC has started under the authority of Dr Simon Lennane at Alton Street Surgery. The initial members include its dementia patients.
Other dementia carees and their carers are invited and include independent carees who may live alone or within a family setting without a specific carer. They and other carers are invited to make contact. The Ross DMC is not limited to dementia and will consider those with other mind and memory ailments.
It is hoped that Christ Church in Edde Cross Street kindly opens its doors to the project before the end of April 2017
Although Ross DMC operates on one day per week from 1100 to 1500, there will be occasional external visits and events on one other day.
The five core themes are:-
• Responding to members' wants and needs
• Physical and mental exercise, and often combined
• Reminiscence - look for your memorabilia
• Songs and music - find those old records
• Use of carer skills
The last item stems from Ross DMC not sacrificing resources on anything its members can enjoy making for themselves.
Volunteers are hoped to be drawn from within the Ross & District community. Others who can help occasionally are welcome.
Further information for carers, carees, volunteers and healthcare professionals is available from Prof Alan Harrison here.
07952 060505
ri