University of Worcester Association for Dementia Studies
Dementia Meeting Centres - Operational Aspects Nav page here
Contents
- Preamble
- Documents - The Guidebook, and advert for Droitwich DMC Group Coordinator
- Comment not for public consumption
1 Preamble
1
Continuing the precis and signing approach, this page sets out to provide a general understanding of what is involved for those considering whether to proceed with setting up a DMC.
2
The coordinator of the project is Dr Shirley Evans - Senior Research Fellow - Association for Dementia Studies at University of Worcester. shirley.evans@worc.ac.uk
University of Worcester Association for Dementia Studies here
3
The following may help your decision re making contact with her.
2 Documents - The Guidebook, and advert for Droitwich DMC Group Coordinator
2.1 The Guidebook, an advert, and aspects of a DMC
- If you go as far as meeting Dr Evans, the set of papers you may receive includes - Meeting Centre Support Programmes UK; The Guidebook.
- This comprises 112 pages. There is nothing directly related to it via Google.
- Page 55 describes the job role of the Programme Coordinator. As this is the first role described one assumes it is essentially, the DMC Manager.
- You can obtain a good idea of how the Droitwich DMC runs by looking at an advert for Group Coordinator - Meeting Centre (Droitwich). Further to 5, this person reports to the Meeting Centre Manager.
- Time-pressed readers are treated to five key points.
- Set up, promote, establish, organise and facilitate meaningful activities which offer individual-orientated possibilities
- Co-operate in the creation of a stimulating, cosy and safe atmosphere to stimulate members to engage in recreational and social activities
- Ensure that the group is appropriately organised and arrangements communicated with attendees, staff, volunteers and facilitators and that the relevant health & safety checks and risk assessments have been completed.
- Check the development of participants with regard to the goals formulated in the activity plan and report to the meeting Centre Manager
- Ensure that the group is appropriately organised and arrangements communicated with attendees, staff, volunteers and facilitators and that the relevant health & safety checks and risk assessments have been completed.
The advert listing 21 aspects of the job is here. If more info is needed, see Job Description - Group Coordinator
(JD - GC)
Comment not for public consumption
- The JD runs to three pages of pretty high-spec duties etc on top of probably two pages of criteria etc in the advert. Any in-depth reader might chuckle to think that the latter includes "Assist in household tasks e.g. making tea and washing dishes"
- The Activity therapist also washes dishes. More to the point, several aspects of the job overlap those within the JD - CC doc and the advert.
- While dealing with what some would consider trifling points, on 1 June at the Leominster DMC, a volunteer might have asked an exhausted caree - "Did you enjoy the psychomotor session?" Caree "What? I thought we were dancing."
- "Psychomotor is simply any gentle exercise that promotes motor control, co-ordination and balance." This is the only time I have seen it defined but "psychomotor" and "psychomotor session" are used every week in programmes. U of W might consider media interpretation. Also, what carees make of it. My wife would not understand it and she's not alone.
- Pushing 5 to unrealistic extension - "What did you think about the motor control aspects?" "Dunno. I can't drive."
- See 3.3 FAQ 1 here
- Find "psychomotor session" on 31st May 1 2 7 8 14 16 22 23 28 June here
- Such terminology has its place in JDs, policy docs etc but when included in publicly available session programmes etc and staff verbal output, why not say "gentle exercise" or similar?
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