Friends of Amarna House

Joseph’s main hobby is playing the piano, which he has been doing so consistently since the age of 11 and he is currently working at grade 6. During the majority of Joseph’s spare time, he studies and volunteers. Not only does he volunteer at the Amarna Care Home, but he also works with children with special needs, a youth group and also at his local library.

Joseph volunteers at Amarna once a week to spend time with the residents. He normally runs a quiz or word games for the residents and they are always willing to tell him about their intriguing stories, “they are happy that someone young keeps them company, they have such interesting lives and experiences they like to share with a younger generation”, he expressed.  Joseph claimed that one of the best stories he heard was from a lady who used to work at a chocolate company, “she used to work there and she told me what her role was, explained how it was to work in chocolate factories and how the company maintained high standards at the workplace”.

Joseph has found that by simply listening to the residents, he can sense their gratitude for him being there. Volunteers can make a remarkable difference to the environment of any care home and sometimes all that needs to be done is to listen and talk to the residents as any engaging conversation can make their day.

The motivation that pushed Joseph to volunteering stemmed from his grandmother’s stay at a care home. He realised that isolation can be an issue amongst some residents in certain care homes and so he was pushed to make a change at Amarna, and a great change at that.

Joseph admitted that it was intimidating for him to go to a new place at first, but added that everyone at Amarna made him feel welcome and already he started to form meaningful connections with the residents. He also developed very good relationships with the staff members. “I definitely feel the connection, they always remember me and speak to me”, he commented.

His experience at Amarna allowed him to expand on his communication and listening skills to develop them further, “my communication has always been good but this experience has only improved it”, he said. Also, as a result of this volunteering, he is now looking at things differently and not just from one perspective.

One of the things that Joseph had just recently learned from his time spent at Amarna was of how challenging it can be for the family members to be away from their loved ones who are residents at care homes and so he emphasised that “understanding is essential”, in these circumstances.

The volunteering experience has given Joseph a greater insight of what he wants to do for a living, “this experience has made me realise that healthcare is definitely what I want to go for”, he stated. He would advise anyone to begin volunteering at a care home as it is a “truly gratifying experience”, and that “you will get a lot out of it as long as you are motivated and dedicated”. Joseph also added that “you might find the experience challenging but it is worth the change it brings”.

His experience with the elderly with dementia started when his grandfather became ill himself. “Sometimes he thought I was his son and I just played along. It’s hard to explain to someone with dementia that you are not who they might think you are.” Later on, Cian knew what to expect when he decided to volunteer.

Cian suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. The illness had left an imprint on Cian’s self-esteem – he could not attend all of his lessons due to the constant exhaustion. Despite the condition and absence from school, Cian managed to complete his GCSE exams ending up with top grades which were an ultimate boost of confidence. That boost motivated him to make a positive change in other people’s lives, “I’ve been ill for so long that I want to give something back to the community now that I’m fully recovered”, he explained.

Cian has volunteered for Friends of Amarna Care home for a year. He goes in once every week to spend time with the residents. “I feel like there aren’t many male volunteers, I think that’s why I prefer spending time with the male residents”, Cian explained. Cian never runs out of topics to chat about, especially those that are sport-related. “I used to be very athletic, I played football, rugby and cricket, I also cycle a lot”, thanks to his athletic lifestyle Cian could bond with the residents over the passion for sport.

Apart from conversations, Cian also engages in the activities in the care home such as bingo, painting or walks. “On a good day”, says Cian, “I take residents out to the garden where we stroll and chat”. Cian has managed to develop a unique bond with the residents. He is even recognised by the residents’ family members, “I sometimes bump into their children and they always stop by to chat, they know their loved ones appreciate what I do”, he comments.

Cian has noticed changes about himself since he started his volunteering journey. Not only have his communication skills improved significantly, but Cian has also developed better emotional intelligence, thanks to which he can distinguish which residents are keen on his company. “When communicating with the residents, you have to make the conversation yourself. A few times you don’t get a response but with time you learn to distinguish silence induced by a condition versus silence that derives from a not-so-chatty mood”, he explains. Cian’s confidence has boosted as well since his early start with Friends of Amarna Care Home. It is the gratifying feeling of giving back to the community that makes one feel good about themselves and impacts their self-esteem positively, “I don’t boast about what I do after school; but when people find out, I always receive warm words of encouragement and that’s great.”

Cian believes communication skills aren’t the only thing you need to be a good volunteer, “you need to be chatty, approachable and confident”, he says. “You might find this hard if you can’t be positive or are not able to cheer people up.” However, communication skills are important – especially in a care home environment – whether practiced with residents of the care home team, “the staff is really lovely, I like being instructed of what do to when I’m there”.

Cian’s experience shaped his current vision of his future career, “it has helped me want to become a doctor even more, I feel like the insight I’ve gained here could be helpful on the orthopaedic path of medicine.”

Cian would convince anybody to begin volunteering, “Do it! Be confident, think of things to chat about, bring a chess board – sometimes this is all they need and all the little things make a difference.”

The service offers residents of Amarna House Care Home a range of goods to purchase including books, music records, cards, toiletries, gifts, and sweets. The residents can make independent choices and treat themselves or their loved ones by choosing items from the “shop on wheels”.

Not only does Trolley Service respond to residents’ need of purchasing basic goods, but it also provides an opportunity to chat with volunteers on duty. Visiting the residents’ room on a regular basis allows volunteers to engage with residents and brighten their day with a chat. Conversation – a seemingly simple act – can make a great impact on an elderly person’s sense of well-being. The Trolley Service also captures some of the elements of life happening outside of the care home which residents long for the most. Incidental chit-chats resulting from the service stand a chance to become a beginning of friendships and meaningful relationships between residents and volunteers, allowing volunteers to play an active role in making residents’ lives more enjoyable.

Karen worked in her role as a teaching assistant for 17 years but found herself very stressed, and having difficulty coping with life. She decided to take some time off from work, and attended a rehabilitation program to recover from alcoholism. While she was away from work, Karen decided that she wanted to do something to keep her occupied, and chose volunteering. She had done volunteering in the past, both in charity shops and as a teaching assistant, which led her to her job. Following a search on a volunteering website, Karen found out about Armana House Care Home. She said that the advert stood out for her, and she went for an interview with David (Chair of Friends of Armana House).

Karen was thrilled to be accepted as a volunteer and felt that she had been given another chance. Karen began volunteering on the same day that a resident moved in, and they became close friends. In the six months before the elderly lady passed away, Karen says that they spent a lot of time together and that the resident made “a lasting impression” on her, teaching her life lessons like “grab life”. While Karen was bereft at her friend’s passing, she continued to volunteer for two years with Amarna House. She especially loved Tuesday mornings which were Quiz mornings, and she would always have a good laugh and a chat with the residents. She said “It was the highlight of my week.”

Karen emphasised that volunteering had given her a new faith in people and herself. She feels that it put her on the right path and helped her to accept herself, as the home and residents had accepted her without judgement. When she began volunteering she says she had no self-esteem, but through giving back to society and being a help to others, she ended up helping herself too. She learned the important skills of patience, compassion and adaptability and it led her on to her current career.

Karen has two sons, the younger of whom has Down’s syndrome. Due to this, and her time volunteering, she always knew that she wanted to work in a caring role. Karen is now working as a Support Worker for adults with learning disabilities and visual impairments, and feels she is in the right place. She feels that she can truly understand the impact of the care given to children, having worked both with children and adults, and seeing the effects that it can have throughout their lives. Karen said that she likes working with older people as they have so many stories. She feels that she has learned that it’s alright to say ‘no’ sometimes, and has improved her listening skills. She says that it is important to adapt, and treat everyone as an individual.

Although due to time constraints Karen no longer volunteers at Armana House, she was adamant in her gratitude to Armana House, David, and the residents. She said “I’m so thankful” that she had her time there and that she always had so much fun. “I had a ball!” She expressed that seeing the residents’ faces light up when she came in was the highlight of her week, and that she would recommend volunteering to anyone. Karen said that in helping others, she felt she was giving

This allowed the residents who find it hard to go outside to pick items for their friends and family.  In the end the group managed to raise a total of £88.98.

This project will be a trolley service, with the aim to improve each of the lives of the 80 residents of the home. By setting up a trolley service it means that Friends can visit the residents in their room on a daily basis, to offer the option of buying items or just having a chat. Following from this, other activities will develop.

What happens on the trolley will vary: it may be sweets one day, toiletries, or books on another or even a theme for the holidays, for example Christmas.  It will be an opportunity for the residents to treat themselves or a loved one, even if they are unable to get out to the shops. Even if the residents don’t wish to buy anything, the trolley service will encourage friendly chats on a daily basis and help to ease the loneliness and isolation that can occur.

Volunteers will be trained and will run the trolley service, to give the residents a chance to see new faces and make some new friends.

The residents will be encouraged to request items such as socks or toiletries, and the trolley will have some small freebies to give away.

For Sarah, the concept of “giving something back to the community” stemmed from a time when her son insisted that there were others who would deserve his birthday gifts more than he did. With that in mind Sarah researched volunteer opportunities near her home in York, finding Friends of Amarna House where she has been volunteering for the past three years. Sarah felt comfortable enough to enter the care home because as a child she grew up in a similar environment. Her parents took care of others in residential homes where they assisted people with disabilities. Sarah also helped her family by taking care of her Grandmother who was battling cancer when she was younger. This gave her a deep sense of empathy and care for others. With bettering the life of her family in mind, she attended night classes at Huntington School to further her education. Establishing a good career took precedence for years until securing her current job as a Dental Practice Manager. As rewarding this can be Sarah says the most worthwhile experiences she has are from volunteering.

At the care home, Sarah spends most of her time with a resident whose family she has become especially close to. It all started on her first day in the home when she walked in on the resident’s birthday party. Without hesitation the residents husband sat down for a chat, making her feel at home. She has developed relationships with people in the home and is grateful for the bond that they share. As the resident Sarah spends time with has dementia it is hard often for her to remember Sarah’s name but she remembers the connection they have.

On 1^st February 2017, Amarna House was very proud to introduce their new Champions of Dignity, Ashley, Emelia, Abigail and Angie. These four staff members were responsible for overseeing and upholding the Dignity and Respect shown to their residents, families and visitors. They were presented with badges and certificates at the homes  Mad Hatters Tea Party. Thank you to our Friends volunteers, Sarah and Katie who baked the most delicious cupcakes!

Twiddle muffs are knitted muffs with items attached such as buttons, zips, bells, ribbons and velcro, They are designed to give hands something to do and can be a focus for fidgeting hands. They are great for people who were knitters or crafters who like to have busy hands but now lack the concentration or ability to do those activities anymore .

Twiddle muffs are definitely a hit with many of the residents of Amarna House

Pamela Morton and friends spent time making them and they were greatly appreciated by the home and residents.

Congratulations were given to Manor School who recently held a fundraising event for the home. The school were pleased to be able to hand over the £110 raised at the event.

For the second year in a row the friends were delighted to join in  the Amarna House Christmas fair.

Pam Morton who was in charge of the friends stall said.

“I was delighted when one of the residents bought a card and present for her son who visits her regularly”.

We are pleased to announce that the stall made £64.80

President of the Friends group, Pamela Morton gave the first reading, while David Wood, Chairman gave the second one.

Approximately 15 residents joined in some traditional favourites.

Everything was rounded off with a lovely cup of tea.

On Tuesday 11th October 2016, the Duke of York visited Attends offices to be updated on our work. 

As part of his role, he is patron of each of the friends groups in care homes.

Pictured here, he is talking to Nichole, project manager, and Kahlil who is newly appointed to the team. He was delighted to hear of the progress to date.

There are many projects currently taking place in the home including a gardening project, table sales, book trolley and weekly tea parties. All of these are greatly appreciated by residents and staff.

Steve is a Pastor at a contemporary church that attracts a mostly younger crowd. Two years ago, they talked about expanding their churches demographic to include an older population. The care home came to them around the same time and asked if they would hold a service once a month. A team of people from the church, led by Steve, now goes to the care home with a guitar and sings traditional hymns for the residents.

At the church they usually play more contemporary music but they’ve changed their repertoire for the older generation. The residents love singing along to songs they have been singing since they were young.  When Steve comes in from the church to sing, everyone gets excited to see him. The highlight of his experience has been how the residents remember him, “you walk in and people wave at you and say ‘Hello Steve!’”

Despite the residents’ memory issues and his infrequent visits, he has made enough of an impact on them that they remember his name. Steve is currently trying to visit once a week to talk with the residents.

Background on Steve

• Church comes third Sunday of every month (1-1.5 hours total)
• In the process of filling out paperwork so he can go in once a week & talk to residents
• performs in 4 different lounges in the care home
• Sing 3-4 hymns each – short service
• Challenges faced
• You leave & feel really good afterwards

About 6 months ago, Katie moved to the UK and wanted to get involved in the local community. Prior to moving she spent a lot of time with her grandparents who suffered from dementia. She really enjoyed the time she spent with her grandparents and wanted to help other elderly people suffering from dementia.

Katie has been a Friend at the care home for 2-3 months now. As a full-time Dentist, work can get stressful but befriending the residents is a nice change of pace to relax in a different environment. “The highlight of the volunteering experience so far has been meeting the very interesting individuals at the care home and being able to start to form a friendship with them.”

Background on Katie

• Volunteers once/twice a week
• Works up to 6 days a week as a Dentist
• Level 2 Gym Instructor
• Struggles to find time to go to the care home more
• Working on Befriending Project
• Likes the feeling of being involved in the community

Pam started her volunteering career at 20 when she got ill. She didn’t have the energy to work a job, so she spent her free time volunteering. Since then, she has been a part of solving some very important issues and it gives her a great sense of satisfaction.

Pam has been a Friend at the care home since it opened. She is an active member of the committee and helps supervise the new Friends. She enjoys doing practical projects and is very excited about her current project: making connections with the local clergy. Since being at the care home, she’s noticed the change she’s made. “I’ve noticed a distinct improvement in the atmosphere, people are very relaxed.”

Background on Pamela

• Worked with Attend for 20 years
• Challenges was people’s reservations – mostly staff

On Saturday 12^th December 2015, Pam Morton and Jane Fletcher, ably supported by resident Helen Snowden, had the first friends stall at the Amarna House Christmas fayre. Pam had sourced all of the goodies, many of which she had knitted herself. In an hour and a half, over £54 was raised, and nearly all the stock sold. Congratulations to everyone. It was also great to see 10 friends at the event, some bringing family with them. It really was a family affair

Friends of Amarna House: Prince’s Trust – Final Challenge Community Project

Sarah Hayes the Learner Development Worker from The Prince’s Trust Team came to Amarna House and gave feedback on her experience.

“As part of The Prince’s Trust Team programme the 16-25yr olds on the course do a ‘Final Challenge’. This team chose to do theirs for the elderly in the community. Nichole at Attend was very helpful and arranged for us to do a four-day volunteering programme with the lovely staff and residents at Amarna House in York.”

Day One

We met the friendly and enthusiastic Activities Co-ordinator Jen, who took her time to get to know each member of our team and introduced us to some of the other staff at Amarna House. We then all had a chance to hold some chicks that had been hatched a few days earlier. This is part of a project where a local farm brings in an incubator and some eggs that are ready to hatch. The residents get to see the chicks being born and can handle them once they fluff up! Contact with nature is important for personal wellbeing, and it definitely put our young people in positive moods!

Jen showed us to our activity for the day, which was based in the wonderful gardens. We were weeding the flowerbeds making way for the bright daffodils to flourish. The young people commented on how therapeutic and relaxing the activity was, it was also beautiful sunny weather, which was ideal.

After we had finished Jen took us to meet some of the residents with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Jen explained the conditions to the young people sensitively so they were comfortable and aware that they should treat people as they would anyone else. It was amazing to listen to the conversations going on between the residents and the young people and after the first day a few of our young people were adamant they wanted to come back and volunteer full time as they had enjoyed speaking to them so much.

Day Two

We cleaned up and bathed the chicks, as they grow very fast and also go to the toilet quite often! We all sat with a chick each and gently cleaned them with warm water and tissue, again another therapeutic session for the young people.

Day Three

We did a wonderful craft session with a few of the residents. Jen is very creative and very clearly explained how we were going to do the session. We worked with the residents as a team to make some beautiful tissue paper blossom branches. Alongside this Jen showed us how to marble paper with marbling inks, which was then going to be used on a notice board.

It was great to hear the residents recalling that they used to marble paper when they were younger, and for one resident making the blossom branches brought back memories of when she was a gardener. The young people were fascinated to listen to her stories about gardening and asked her lots of questions. The blossom branches are now displayed in the reception.

Day Four

We joined a group of residents for their Friday morning sing-a-long. Some of the music dated back to 1917, but even though we didn’t know all the words we still had a dance and hummed along! It was great to do singing together as it is really good for teambuilding, which is what the Prince’s Trust programme is all about.

On behalf of the staff and young people at The Prince’s Trust York, I would like to thank all the residents and staff at Amarna house and Nichole and David at Attend. Especially as Jen, another staff member and a resident made it all the way to our Final Presentation!

Our young people thoroughly enjoyed the week so much so that a handful of them took away application forms to become volunteers! This is vital for the continued personal development of our young people once they finish the programme with us, and it could then lead to work within the industry, which is fantastic!

Written by Sarah Hayes

Learner Development Worker

On 13th October the Friends were delighted to speak to the Occupational Therapy Students at York St John University.

Afterwards many students expressed an interest in coming to volunteer alongside the residents over the next academic year.

Angie is currently at University studying Psychology and found an application online to be a Friend at the care home. She felt that it would be quite meaningful for her to volunteer at the care home because she knew the residents don’t have a lot of opportunity to go out.

Once a week, Angie serves coffee and talks to the residents. She has really enjoyed getting to know the residents and gets a lot out of her time as a Friend. Before she started befriending at the care home, she hadn’t spent a lot of time with elderly people. She has found that she is learning a lot from them. When she goes in and talks with the residents, they give her a new perspective on things in her life. “It’s very calming to go in and have a conversation with the residents”.

Background on Angie Ng:

• Was very quiet and reserved at first, followed the coordinators lead
• Got the hang of it quickly
• Volunteers at a handful of other places as well
• Feels calmer after visiting and talking with the residents
• Applied to be a reading volunteer initially
• Runs coffee mornings on Monday’s from 10-12
• On slow days when residents are tired it can be difficult to engage them

Since childhood, Haydn was brought up to give back. He used to help out the neighbours on his street and it gave him a sense of community. Since being at University, he hasn’t felt the same level of interaction and wanted more opportunity to give back to society.

Haydn has been a Friend at the care home since February 2015 and has already started developing a photography class there. Every Wednesday for two hours, he tries to get residents into photography and teaches them how they can do digital photography. Some of the residents were unsure in their own abilities but a little pushing and motivation has been well worth it. Haydn gets to see how happy and proud the residents are of their skills and their photography. “Residents see their photos and light up, they’re so proud of their own work.”

Background on Haydn:

• Challenges:
• A lot of residents not sure they could do it – had to challenge them
• Hard to hold the camera and push the button
• Got a tripod – they move the camera around to the right spot
• Haydn holds the tripod and they push the button
• Full time student at the University of York
• Studying Politics, Policy and Economics
• Once a week – Wednesday 2 hrs

Linda and Sam are mother and son who run a tea shop together in a care home. Sam is a talented musician and actor who recently graduated from Drama School. Shortly after, Sam came down with psychosis and Linda stayed home to take care of him. They wanted to do something together that would help rebuild his confidence.

Together, they have created a relaxing and comfortable space for residents to relax in before and after getting their hair done across the hall. They try to make it a very comforting and welcoming environment by offering snacks and cakes and decorating with flowers. Linda is very happy to talk to residents and get to know them on an individual level while Sam keeps the room calm by playing soft quiet music. Sam tries to play songs familiar to the residents and gets them to join in singing. They both enjoy their time at the care home because they can tell what a difference they’re making. Even the most severe dementia patients will often remember songs from their past and everyone in the room will either sing along to Sam’s songs or at least bop their heads to the beat. “Even the most agitated or distressed residents soon calm down and their mood is lifted when they visit the tea shop. There is plenty of laughter and conversation as well as singing together.”

Background on Linda and Sam:

• Sam suffered from psychosis and Linda left her job to take care of him
• Currently working on creating instructions to set up a similar venture in other care homes
• Want to raise money to invest in a better keyboard
• Linda was previously a teacher at the Church of England, then a Librarian
• Linda currently a Counsellor for families – works with families dealing with a parent suffering from dementia – overlapping
• Linda has 4 children 1 grandchild – will have 3 by summer
• Struggles
  • regular visitor recently passed away – feel better knowing they made the last couple weeks of her life better quality
  • some residents are quite deaf
• Volunteering since September
• Sam is happy to be giving back to the community
• Happy that he can share his talents with music & hopes in the future he can use his acting skills with the residents as well
• Sam mostly internal struggles
  • Nerves – residents often unpredictable
  • Struggling to create a very calm & relaxing atmosphere
• Sam’s outside activities
  • Works for his brother – freelance – writing music
  • Volunteers in York – delivering things to people
  • Loves drama – wants to get back into acting when confidence is back up
  • Exploring future options – possibly start a music business

Civil Servants from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently spent a day with the Charity, Friends of Amarna House in York.

Eleven people volunteered to spend the day gardening at Amarna House.  The volunteers converted raised beds into vegetable plots, pruned trees and shrubs, planted herbs and daffodil bulbs, and dug up overgrown shrubs.

It was a fantastic team effort and a great sense of achievement was felt by all. Some specific feedback from the Food Standards Agency included “I really enjoyed the day and was delighted at how welcome everyone at Amarna House made us feel” and “It’s a great way to be able to give something back into the community”.

If you would like to volunteer at Amarna House, please contact Nichole Wheaton at nichole.wheaton@attend.org.uk