“It’ll be lonely this Christmas Without you to hold It’ll be lonely this Christmas Lonely and cold.” So sang English glam rock band Mud (in the style of Elvis Presley) to top the UK singles chart in 1974, selling over…
Tag: older people
Bringing the generations together
There have been few documentaries I’ve enjoyed as much as Channel 4’s ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’. For me it ticked every box – it featured some amazing older people (the oldest was 102) and pre-school children (the…
Older carers – Isolated and forgotten
Last week was Carers Week, an annual awareness raising campaign that highlights the vital role of people who care, unpaid, for family or friends. Carers Week also aims to promote ways in which carers can be better supported, which is…
Dehumanisation in hospitals
I have many personal dislikes to language used in relation to older people or people who are living with dementia, but a particular phrase is the subject of this blog mostly because I think it says a huge amount about…
Your voice
Sometimes I meet people who seem genuinely perplexed by my passion for the work that I do. Trying to convey the warmth and genuine love I have for my vocation isn’t always easy, particularly amongst those with very negative viewpoints of…
15-minutes of shame
As a light was shone, yet again, on the huge inadequacies within our home care services as the issue of 15-minute visits hit the headlines, I decided to time my morning routine. Just how much could I as an able-bodied…
Why, oh why, oh why?
Incensed. Appalled. Outraged. Indeed there are a plethora of words to describe how I felt on hearing reports of a rise in suspected cases of elder abuse in England, but I’m not sure any of them accurately do my feelings…
Risk verses reward
I’m not quite sure when it happened, but it seems that wrapping human beings up in cotton wool has become a habit that many individuals and organisations are struggling to get out of. Prime candidates for this approach are anyone who…
D for desire
They say that sex sells, and yet when it comes to dementia no one talks about it let alone advocates it. The idea of older people, and particularly those living with dementia, feeling sexy, desirable, thinking about, talking about or…
Design challenge
As our population ages, designing environments that are aesthetically pleasing whilst also offering exceptional functionality is one of the key challenges in helping our older generation to enjoy longevity in happiness and comfort. Where we live, work or socialise has…
Home alone
Imagine that every morning when you wake up, you are unable to get out of bed without the help of a carer. You might wake up quite early, needing the toilet or wanting a hot drink, but you live alone…
Celebrating longevity
Hearing the tributes this week to Reg Dean, the gentleman who had been the UK’s oldest man until he passed away at the tender age of 110 years and 63 days, reminded me of the amazing stories behind the faces…
My dementia wish list
Welcome to 2013, the beginning of another new year and no doubt another set of targets for the tick box culture in health and social care. 2013 promises to be an important time for dementia, with the need to build…