HC-One’s Meadow Bank Care Home in Preston, Lancashire, welcomed a talented local writer, Susan Osborne, to their home to read a selection of her poems to residents as part of their latest Saturday Dementia Café events.
Meadow Bank, a residential, nursing, nursing dementia, residential dementia and specialist dementia care community (SDCC) care home, has invited members of the local community to attend their monthly Dementia Café events. Meadow Bank Care Home host their Dementia Café events, where members of the local community are welcome to attend.
The Dementia Café events take place at Meadow Bank on the first Saturday of each month from 2pm to 3.30pm. The Dementia Café events provide an opportunity for members of the local community to seek information, guidance and advice within a relaxed calm setting from highly skilled experts in dementia care.
The team at Meadow Bank can assist individuals with the information they require or help to sign post individuals to other available support services. Whilst having a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits with someone who understands, members of the local community can feel safe and supported to discuss their own or someone else’s dementia diagnosis and what this means for them and their future.
Members of the community have the opportunity to find out more about Meadow Bank’s Specialist Dementia Care Community (SDCC) which offers an enhanced service that focuses on the welfare and wellbeing of people who are emotionally distressed by their dementia and therefore require specialist care and support.
Attendees can receive answers to questions from health and social care professionals as well as share experiences and learn from other people who are living in similar situations. Wellbeing Coordinator, Dawn Ward, saw Susan Osborne, perform in a show for volunteers at a local foodbank and again at a Christmas performance with The Lancashire Poetry Relay Team for volunteers and shoppers.
This led Dawn to arrange a date with Susan to perform at Meadow Bank’s Dementia Café. Susan, who is a musician, artist and writer from Lancashire, spent time last year working on a new collection of humorous poems about being a pensioner in Lancashire and getting older in general.
Seeking inspiration, Susan began entertaining Lancashire's elderly community groups and has been enjoying chatting with them after the performances. Susan brought with her to Meadow Bank’s latest dementia café event her published poetry book entitled ‘A Laff From Lancashire: A selection of witty poems’ to read to residents.
The book contains Susan’s first collection of poems laced with red rose county humour. Residents enjoyed listening to Susan’s rendition of poetry as she read aloud to residents, laughing along the way to some of the witty verses.
To finish the event, Susan gave residents a free raffle ticket to provide them with the chance of winning a copy of her book. The lucky winning resident was Margaret Nuttall, aged 87, who was very happy to win a copy of Susan’s book, and another copy was gifted to resident, Peter Bonage, aged 83, as he enjoyed the reading so much as he’s a poem enthusiast that Susan kindly gifted him a copy too.
A variety of special guests and activities take place at Meadow Bank’s Dementia Café events, including open mic sessions, games of bingo, a cup of tea or coffee and a chat, as well as visits from
Clayton Brook 1st Cubs Beavers and Scouts who come into the home to play games and help with gardening tasks.
Caroline Daley, Home Manager at HC-One’s Meadow Bank Care Home, said:
“Our Dementia Café events create a safe environment where members of the local community can socialise and enjoy each other’s company, seek the advice and support they require; and learn more about dementia and the care we provide to those living with dementia at Meadow Bank Care Home.
“It’s really important for us to support local artists and authors as well as staying close and connection to our local community here at Meadow Bank.”
Susan Osborne, a musician, artist and author from Lancashire, commented:
“I met some very interesting characters along the way. We chatted about forgetfulness, dentures, doctor's appointments, aches and pains, grandkids, new hobbies, dunking biscuits and a host of other topics in a really fun way.
“I got lots of inspiration from these wonderful people and will be hoping to publish a set of 'Pensioner Poems' later in the year. My mum is in a care home with late stages of dementia, and that's another reason why I was happy to go to Meadow Bank and try to spread a little joy and raise a few smiles for the residents.
“The staff made me very welcome and helped me to give out raffle tickets to the audience for the draw to win a copy of one of my books at the end of the performance. It was a really enjoyable afternoon, with a lovely audience, and tea and biscuits too.”
For more information on HC-One homes in your area visit
www.hc-one.co.uk/carehomes.