I learned a lot through this experience. One thing I in particular was the importance of treating each one as an individual and getting to know how to approach each person is important. I learned about the complexities of dementia which is becoming an increasing problem for the ageing population of Britain. It was important to recognise that this illness is a very personal to the individual it affects. It can develop causing residents to be very different from how they would usually behave or magnify how they would normally act. All residents are at different stages of the illness. Taking all this into consideration, understanding and compassion are vital in how you should treat residents with dementia.
For example we were potting flowers whilst drinking tea when a resident confused a gardening shear for a spoon and began to stir her tea with it. Seeing this I explained I would get her a new cup of tea and a spoon, and upon prizing the shears away she was very angry and confused which was understandable. It is important not to run out of patience.
In addition last year I remember going on a ward round with the nurses on the dementia floor (called The Primrose Community). This was far more challenging than I thought it would be. They had to check some peoples blood pressure everyday and many of the residents were very resistant to it, as they didn't understand who/why/what was going on. It takes a lot of necessary patience and understanding. Some nurses had scratches and cuts up there arms and face from frightened residents, so it was a shocking eye opener to Alzheimer's disease.
It can still be rewarding. A lovely moment with resident was when she was distressed as she kept muttering her husband's name and asking where he was. Music was playing in the background and having remembered that she liked dancing previously, I commented on the music and about how it is a great dance number. She immediately got distracted and broke out of her trance and talked about how she loved dancing.
Another resident, who was brought into the home by the social services two days a week, talked for a long time about her situation at home with her son. She talked about how she wanted to stay at the care home and dreaded going back. She enjoyed her two days a week just by being able to talk to other residents, staff and volunteers. She told her me story over and over again but at least it helped her to have somebody to talk to. She was slow and frail but when it came to knitting, her speed was worthy of a gold at the olympics and she thoroughly enjoyed teaching me.
I gained a lot from the week of volunteering and will organise to go back for a few hours every week, so I can continue to see the residents.
It is perceived that most people send their elderly relatives to a carehome where they live the last few months of their life peacefully. However the main thing I learnt is that the residents do not go into the home to die, but rather, to live.
