Clifden House

liViNG WiTh DeMeNTiA iN AN uNceRTAiN NeW yeAR, WiTh A SMile

I’m writing this with certainty that each and every individual reading now has some personal experience of someone close to them who has come into contact with COVID-19. This may entail a story about a friend who was asymptomatic and simply shrugged it off, or another who was confused by losing their sense of smell and taste whilst suffering from a rotten, headachy cold that they couldn’t shake. Then there are those who have lost loved ones, family and long-standing acquaintances in their community. We have all now been made aware of the serious and debilitating impact of this virus, and we wish you all a safe and healthy New Year as we look towards welcome vaccinations and some faint light at the end of the tunnel that offers us all hope.

It is with this in mind that I wanted to share a very human story of life and laughter in the most trying of circumstances over the Christmas period just past. captured the wintery Christmas spirit by staging a snowball fight inside their carehome except, in the absence of a truly white Christmas, they had instead substituted ping pong balls for snowballs, and for a target they had found a willing member of the team to run the gauntlet of residents and team mates pelting them as they scuttled past.

Therefore, just before Christmas Day, you would have heard roars of laughter from the main sitting room at Clifden House as residents pelted our manager, sporting a frankly spectacular set of sparkly antlers, with white ping pong balls whilst Christmas music played throughout. Then all the (snow) balls were gathered up for round two, and three, and four…

In that moment, the continuing strangeness of wearing PPE masks and constant commitment to the care and welfare of those in our care gave way for a brief moment to a shared and very human experience of joy and laughter, and some of those residents are pretty good shots…!

Clifden House Dementia Care Centre has been delivering exceptional residential and respite care for 50 years. It aims to maximise each individual’s potential through choice, reducing the use of unnecessary medication and alleviating the symptoms of dementia in a caring and supportive environment.

living in the moment

The Clifden House logo is an outstretched hand supporting a butterfly. The idea in dementia of creating fulfilling moments where you can – butterfly moments – where someone with dementia is shown a route back into the life they may have once enjoyed, is gaining credence with each year that passes. We always seek to catch at least one moment each day for each resident where they can find a link back to the music they once enjoyed, the dances they knew, the books they read, the places they visited, the food they loved the most, and so on.

Our manager and team members discussed an article they had come across where residents had

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Abbeyfield House

North Road, Alfriston BN26 5XB

Providing safe and homely supported housing for older people in Alfriston

● your own private ensuite room ● daily contact with dedicated staff ● two nutritious home-cooked meals daily ● spacious communal lounge/dining room and gardens ● downland village living ● all-inclusive rates

Making time for older people

Please do get in touch for more information or to arrange a visit T: 01323 871767 E: alfriston@abbsd.co.uk

www.abbsd.co.uk