Friends of Larchwood

Dear Care Home Friend,

In less than a month it feels like everything has changed. As I was looking at my diary for March, we had committee meetings planned for most homes, and lots of volunteers on the brink of starting. I did get to a Dementia Cafe in very early March but within days we were having to look at everything differently.

In all homes, we have no volunteers going in. Understandably, most care homes won’t even allow families to visit residents except in very extenuating circumstances.

We regularly hear from volunteers who want to help, to continue to do something to support the residents and staff of the home that they are supporting. If any of you have any thoughts about something volunteers might practically do, please let us know.

So what are we doing? The King’s Fund, where our offices are located, shut down  at very  short notice. The last few hours looked a bit like we are passengers on the Titanic grabbing the essentials for an unknown period in the lifeboats. At this point, the care homes support team are all set up to work from home.

You may continue to hear from Sona who is totally reviewing and updating all our records relating to volunteers. We are contacting some as part of the process. Also we are continuing to have regular enquiries from people who want to get involved once we come out the other side of this current situation. We are processing their applications, taking up references etc.

Alongside this Said and Kim are getting the financial records up to date. Today is the last day of the care home groups financial year, so there is plenty to do to prepare the draft accounts.

Alongside this we are continuing to look for funders who might support the projects you have told us you would like to do.

So, while perhaps less physically present, we are continuing to work hard to ensure these projects are in the best position they can be, once we return to practical day to day volunteering in the homes.

Once again, if you have any ideas on what else we might do now, do get in touch. In the meantime, do stay safe and well.

With very best wishes

Nichole Wheaton

Head of Projects Delivery
Tel: 020 7307 2570
Email: nichole.wheaton@attend.org.uk
Web: www.attend.org.uk
Online shop: www.buy.at/attend

At the heart of healthy communities.
Attend is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales No: 1113067 and in Scotland under no. SC039237 with a head office at Attend, 11-13 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0AN. Registered Company no. 5713403.
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Samantha feels that volunteering at Larchwood was inevitable. Her lifestyle revolves around helping others- she describes herself as a family-orientated person, and when she’s not working full time, Samantha spends as much time as she can with friends and family. ‘’My doors are always open to anyone who needs it.’’

Samantha began to look for volunteering opportunities online, and was delighted when Larchwood care home accepted her application. She explains that her time at Larchwood has inspired her desire for a career change- helping others is something she knows now is what she wants to do as much as she can; she has actually applied for a full time role at Larchwood care home.

Samantha finds providing comfort for residents in any way she can, whether it is just sitting and chatting with them or helping to feed them is extremely rewarding for her.  She has realised simply giving residents the opportunity to feel listened to is important to them, and she finds it humbling to be one of the reasons they might have a smile on their face.

Samantha knew it might be challenging and emotional as she would be working with residents with dementia or on End of Life care, but she found that knowing that her time spent volunteering might have made a difference is a remarkable experience. ‘’It is satisfying to know that through my time volunteering, I’ve been able to make a difference to the lives of residents.’’

Samantha would like to thank Larchwood for the opportunity to volunteer with them- while it has been an ‘’emotional rollercoaster’’, it has been an experience she has found incredibly worthwhile so far.

Friends of Larchwood are a group of enthusiastic volunteers who aim to improve the well-being of the residents of Larchwood Care Home. Friends of Larchwood can now support residents in gardening activities to help them stay healthy and socially engaged.

The benefits of gardening are endless but most importantly it is an excellent exercise. Moving around in the garden and looking after the plants means the residents will be able to increase physical strength, mobility and hand grip without putting excessive strain on their bodies.

Thanks to an improved garden, residents will have the ability to harvest their own plants which will be a perfect topic to discuss with others over a cup of tea at the new tables and chairs. A sense of accomplishment in plant growing will give residents a boost of confidence and improve their mental well-being. Additionally, gardening outdoors means spending more time in the sun. Thanks to this residents will notice a positive change in their mood as well as find themselves more stress-relieved.

Gardening in a care home is a way for residents to get together. With this project, specially-trained volunteers will engage with the residents to cultivate and enjoy the gardening hobby together. A responsibility shared between the residents will give more opportunities to socialise, build new friendships, and eventually bond with other residents or volunteers.

Spending more time in the garden is an opportunity for an exciting learning process. Residents will have the ability to gain new skills and spark an interest in something that they might not have had an interest in before. This means that regular garden-tending will keep the residents’ mind active which is a helpful technique in Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

With the combined efforts of Friends of Larchwood, the staff and the volunteers at Larchwood Care Home, the residents will be given a therapeutic chance to make the most out of their garden and health, and as a result, age gracefully.

With this project, we will purchase a specialist sensory case for the elderly as a tool to exercise sensory perception. The case will include a variety of equipment for residents with dementia and those who might need some sensory stimulation.

The sensory case contains tools which will give the residents the opportunity to exercise visual, olfactory and auditory perception. Musical gloves will give the residents the opportunity to play music with ease and the fruits card game will allow them to recognise and match fragrances with fruits.

Additionally, cushions and armchair covers of various textures will constitute a tool to explore tactile perception.

The kit will be a chance to build a bridge between trained volunteers and the residents, form new meaningful relationships developed through leisure whilst simultaneously improving their physical health. Our volunteers will contribute to improving the lives of residents by exercising day-to-day tasks which involve sensory stimulation. Thanks to this project, residents will gain confidence in recognising textures, sounds and scents and, consequently, improve their concentration and memory.

The Multisensory Equipment project is one more step forward in making residents’ lives more enjoyable and meaningful.

She wouldn’t accept the diagnosis.” Arlene struggled seeing her mother live in denial of her condition. She explained in detail the hindrance of the disease, “she believed that there were people in her flat when she was on her own, she had all these bad visions. We realised things have gone serious when she started wandering in the street.”

In 2014 it was time for Arlene and her sister to decide what type of care would be best for their mother. “We chose Larchwood for her because of its homely atmosphere”, she explained. Arlene’s mother’s wish to stay at her own home could not be fulfilled given her advancing condition. Arlene did the best she could to cultivate the mother-daughter bond and to look after her mother in her last months of life, “I made sure I came to the care home every day to change her clothes, wash her hair and keep her company.” It was through those visits that Arlene was introduced to the Larchwood volunteering experience.

A year after Arlene’s mother’s passing, she made the bold decision to visit Larchwood once more at an Open Day. She remembered the friendly faces of all the team members, including the manager. It was her who prompted Arlene to begin volunteering, “it was a difficult decision to make, but I agreed eventually.”

At the care home, Arlene became involved in numerous activities with the residents such as crafts, group conversations and musical events – the list went on and on. “I’m usually there to talk to the residents, hold their hand, or read them a book. On special occasions we make Christmas cards, Valentine Day’s cards and Easter cards”, Arlene perked up when describing the artistic process. “Everyone is just so focused on cutting out shapes and gluing glitter on the cards”, she laughed. She also remembered the time when a Rock&Roll concert was organised and the residents absolutely loved it! She was stunned to see that although some of the residents did not speak, they began to clap, smile or even sing when some rock songs from the 50’s or even those from the wartime were played and how they revived through the power of music.

Arlene admitted she found the activities delightful and even realised she was particularly skilled at some of them. Arlene probably would never have discovered her hidden talent if it was not for volunteering. She engaged in the Arts and Crafts activities such as painting and knitting; “I didn’t even know I was that good at it! I used to work full-time before retirement and was busy with children and grand children; I never had time to even think about crafts.” Not only did Arlene master her skills in craft, but was also able to bond with residents thanks to the newly acquired skill, “I remember a lady who really liked knitting and she used to knit all types of squares. One time, she took me to her room and showed me this big box filled with knitted squares in all colours. They were beautiful! And she was happy to show her hobby to someone, too”, she explained.

Arlene has volunteered for Friends of Larchwood Care Home for 2 years now. She made time to engage in volunteering work after retirement from a college administration department.

Arlene believes being proactive is key in charity work. She describes herself as friendly, outgoing and proactive. Taking the initiative has become a part of who she is as a volunteer – she will not wait for anybody to ask her to set the tables or complete any task the carers have not had the chance to do yet. Arlene’s advice for prospective volunteers is to interact with residents, “Tell them, ‘your hair looks lovely’, or ‘this jumper really suits you’. It’s all about the little things.”

“Everybody around me volunteers”, she explained. Arlene’s family volunteer in school and in the Globe theatre. However, helping in a care home was something that Arlene found comfort in: “I feel like doing this”, she explained. “I look at some of those people and I realise they’re sometimes younger than me. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll end up in of those, too? Who knows?”

“If you want to volunteer you need to be prepared”, Arlene explained. “Knowledge about geriatric conditions, resilience and kindness are a must before you begin.”
Despite the challenges that volunteering might pose, helping the elderly can be tremendously gratifying.

One thing that bothers Arlene the most is not the challenges posed by the residents’ diagnoses, but how loneliness affects them on a daily basis: “What makes me sad is that some of the residents don’t have many visitors. If there were more volunteers, residents wouldn’t feel so lonely”, she said in a moment of reflection.

Arlene loves her experience and would encourage everyone to begin their volunteering journey. “In reality, your 5 minutes with them will make all the difference. Just ask what they need. It’s so easy but it makes a difference.”

The service offers residents of Larchwood 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.

This project will be a trolley service, with the aim to improve each of the lives of the 64 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.

The Friends were delighted to attend Larchwood Care Home Christmas Extravaganza. It was good to see relatives, residents and staff purchasing goods from the table sale. Two of the Friends volunteers took the trolley around the home, whilst many of the other volunteers enjoyed the activities and spent time with residents. Entertainment for the day included a singer, opening of the new café, visiting owls and reindeers, and we enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies.

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.

The trolley service is  working well and there are plans to purchase a high quality lockable cupboard. The Friends will be looking to  submit a bid to allow the purchase of a multi sensory trolley and  are planning a Christmas table sale on 5th December.

The aim is to support the residents in both independence and choice, enabling them to decide what they would like to buy.

Choices could be made from everything from sweets, to toiletries, to cards and gifts. It was a surprise how many people were interested in the gifts and Ziggy, the activities co-ordinator set up an impromptu wrapping service.

Due to the volume of things, it became more static than initially envisaged, with goods spreading across a number of tables.

For the future, Sue says “We will take out a smaller selection of things, and move all-round the home. We will also try it on different days of the week, and times of the day.”

Activities Coordinators Susie and Jason had developed the theme and fortunately the day dawned bright and sunny and the garden was decorated with everything from umbrellas to buckets and spades, with staff all in their beach outfits.

Baroness Emerton former chairman and a current Vice President of Attend travelled up from Tunbridge Wells to see this new project. She said “It is a real privilege to join the residents, relatives, staff and volunteers and join in all the fun” Matthew Swan (Attend National Treasurer) was also in attendance.

Local supporters who joined us included David Sollis, an East Region Committee member, who brought along a taxi which has been specially adapted to record people’s thoughts about volunteering and how they might contribute to the home.

Other special guests included:

• Lesley Cruickshank, Quality Innovation Manager
• Councilor John Baugh, Braintree Council
• Jackie Davies, Business Training Advisor, The Professional Training Centre Services to Business at Colchester Institute
• Catherine Wood, Nurse Consultant for Attend

It was a great day, and a really good formal start to an exciting future for the friends partnership with the home.

She began her search for a volunteer position when she began looking on different volunteer websites. Dominique came upon this opportunity at Larchwood Care Home and quickly researched how to get involved immediately. At first, she started volunteering as a tea-time companion last September. Every Monday evening from 5-6 pm, Dominique came in right before the residents started to eat their dinner. She would sit down and go to each table having conversations with the residents. She loved how happy the residents would get when she would come over to them because sometimes a resident was sitting by themselves eating alone.

For the future, she plans to attend the Manchester University of Medicine. Dominique wants to be a doctor specialising in work with disabled children. In order to understand the medical field in its entirety, she felt that by working with adults who had dementia it would allow her to have experience on both ends of the spectrum. In understanding how to work with children who have disabilities, it was vital to understand how to communicate and work with adults who suffered strokes or currently have dementia. “I have become more patient with the residents and that will be a tremendous help when working with children.”

Working with adults and children is completely different. Children do not like to sit still and just chat for an hour, but would rather run around and be active. However, the adult residents enjoy relaxing and talking about their past times, and Dominique said it has been tough to always get all of the residents to participate in games she organises.

She spoke about how adults with dementia know when someone is frustrated with them because they can read it in your face. Dominique said she went into volunteering “completely blindfolded” and did not have any prior experience of working with relatives or individuals living with dementia.

At the care home there are three different sections to which volunteers have the opportunity to volunteer in. Right now, she is in charge of the trolley. The trolley has different snacks, treats, and living essentials that the residents can buy their weekly necessities from. It is really convenient for them so that they do not have to go out to a store to purchase these items. According to Dominique, this is a really important system for the residents because she sees how happy they are when they can buy things on their own and not have someone help them with their decisions. It increases their dignity and confidence levels tremendously. All of these experiences, whether communicating with the residents or just seeing their happiness after playing a game or purchasing a couple delicious treats, have developed her knowledge of what it is like working in a care home and in the medical field.