I had the pleasure of being taken for lunch at the Manor House Enniskillen last Sunday. What a treat. There, in magnificent surroundings, sitting in the posh restaurant overlooking the marina and Lough Erne stretching out before us, we had a superb meal. For me especially. In these days when the majority of restaurants don’t seem to be interested in vegetarians and serve up one ‘option’ as they call it, I had the most tasty pasta dish with shallots and spinach plus plus. I enjoyed it so much I’ve written to the Manor House requesting the details.
I love the notion of a people’s library. This posting was on the internet during the week.
In Denmark, there are libraries where you can borrow a person instead of a book to listen to their life story for 30 minutes. The goal is to fight against prejudice. Every person has a title – ′′ unemployed “, ′′ refugee “, ′′ bipolar “, etc. – but listening to their story makes you realize how not to ′′ judge a book by its cover “. This innovative and brilliant project is active in more than 50 countries. It’s called The Human Library.
Now isn’t that a fine idea? I hope someone here takes it up, we need to appreciate each others culture and background, wit and wisdom. And we need libraries to be open to everyone so thumbs down to Ballyclare High School for permitting only pupils with four A Grades at AS level. Can you believe it, barring boys and girls from a love of books. Barbaric. Equal opportunities spring to mind.
Support to those brave Afghan women who are protesting in Kabul against loosing their equal rights when they know they are risking their freedom and possibly their lives. Can you imagine an all male government telling you you are not allowed to go to the shops without a male escort or wearing a pretty dress on a warm day rather than a burka and imagine not being permitted to go to college or to your place of work because you are a woman. When you put yourself in their situation it really makes you feel for their and be grateful for our lifestyle even though it’s not perfect.
LIVING IN A FRIENDLY HOUSE
I don’t know about you but I am constantly looking for my glasses only to be told they are on the top of my head. I have a habit of going upstairs for something and having no idea what once I get there. I apparently repeated a question recently – with a gap of about ten minutes between – but there were look between family members. Lack of concentration.
I think dementia is at the back of many minds these days, it is so prevalent and, thankfully, in the public eye there is an increased awareness. BBC’s Holby City are now featuring the condition where Dr. Dom’s mother Carole is in his ward and it allows him to see first hand what she’s going through. Indeed, he takes her on an imaginary trip to the seaside which gives her some joy and is an idea for carers. Now Denis Law joins the hundreds of other footballers with this disease. The thought is that heading the ball has contributed to this condition and research goes on, hopefully with positive news for everyone.
In Northern Ireland it’s estimated that 20,000 people are living with dementia and that number is projected to double by 2040. It’s obviously a fearful fact not only for the patient but draining for family carers both emotionally and physically.
What Can Be Done To Ease Anxiety?
As I wrote last week, Dementia Friendly Community East Belfast and similar organisations throughout Northern Ireland are working with the public to come to terms with this disease and offer the best advice possible.
Gillian McEvoy from Age Friendly Belfast has some great ideas on how to make your home more user friendly not only for those living with dementia but for every one of us. For instance having a double banister is a God send in my experience, great for keeping your balance and for hauling yourself upstairs at the end of a fraught day. But Gillian takes this one step further, so often it’s a white hand rail against a white wall, she recommends a coloured rail so it stands out and is more easily seen.
She recommends taking a walk round your home starting outside with some simple steps to identifying the house and so to cut down on possible confusion.
“Paint the door a bright colour, plant a large colourful bush near the gate. A plaque with the house number is also a good idea. Careful with steps up to front door and especially inside in the hall, is the mat really necessary? Even inside the house painting door frames and saddles a bright contrasting colour to help define moving from one area to another.” Gillian adds: “Lighting is vitally important, make it three times brighter than usual.”
I Know For A Fact
I was at a service in the bright and airy Whitewell Tabernacle on the Shore Road in Belfast when I realised I’d forgotten my glasses and wouldn’t be able to join in the hymns. When I opened the book, however, by some miracle I could see the words clearly. I was about to run down to the front and tell the Pastor of this amazing phenomenon. My companion stopped me and calmed me down so I just accepted this was a gift from God which sadly ended with the close of the service. The following week I was lunching with a television camera man and I was relating the experience. I wasn’t wearing glasses and I glanced down at the menu thinking the miracle might happen again but no, couldn’t read a word. “Don’t worry,” he said, “come on.” And he marched me from the back of the dimly lit restaurant to a table by the window. “Try now,” he commanded. Without specs I could see as plain as day. “Lighting,” was the answer.
Moving upstairs in the house, check the landing, move anything that shouldn’t be there and is a trip hazard, the house, upstairs and downstairs must be easy to navigate.
“These doors off the landing look much the same so name them with cards at eye level, bathroom, bedroom etc. With the bedrooms even put a picture of whose room it is so it’s immediately obvious who sleeps where. Mirrors are another issue, sometimes the person living with dementia won’t immediately recognise their reflection and think there’s a stranger in the house.” Her idea is to put up a white board in place of the mirror again on a contrasting wall colour, and write on it the daily routine, putting the bins out, a friend calling, a library book to return, just an ‘aid memoir’, a memo to self, and keep a pen on a string attached so notes can be updated either by the carer or the person who requires assistance.
Keeping furniture in the same place is important so it’s easy to find the right chair or move to the table, familiarity is vital to navigation. See through cupboard doors help in the kitchen.
Having an album of family photos around with the names written alongside is a great source of conversation which gives stimulation to the brain. An orientation clock is useful in any household, it shows on the screen the day, the time and the date.” Likewise the special phone has large numbers and a place where you can stick on pictures of people frequently phoned so it’s just a matter of pushing the picture and getting through to the person you wish to speak to. These aids are perfect for those with a visual impairment.
Gillian adds that the Fire Brigade and Bryson House will carryout home safety checks on request and can also provide some useful gadgets which will make a difference.
For much more information contact the East Belfast organisation at www.dementiafriendlyeastbelfast.com
Further support: Alzheimers Society 028 9038 7787 and at Dementia NI 028 9068 6768
What do you call a parade of large rabbits hopping backwards.
A receding hair line!
Off now to watch the end ceremony of the excellent Paralympics. A joy to watch and excellent coverage.