Henley House, a Greensleeves Care home in Ipswich, has launched an initiative inspired by the Alzheimer’s Society to demonstrate support for dementia. Henley House is one of the most highly regarded dementia homes in the area, and staff are always looking to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new approaches to dementia care.
For some time, the Alzheimer’s Society has adopted the Forget-Me-Not flower as a symbol of dementia- raising awareness and allowing people to show their support by wearing a Forget-Me-Not pin, amongst other fundraising initiatives.
The Alzheimer’s Society explains the poignant reasoning for this choice of flower, saying:
“People with dementia may experience memory loss, among other symptoms. This makes the Forget-Me-Not the perfect flower to represent our cause.”
In line with this, Henley House has implemented a system whereby residents living with dementia, who may need extra support and time with their communication, have a Forget-Me-Not image on the door to their rooms. The initiative also involves residents living with dementia having a Forget-Me-Not box in their room, which holds items of personal significance to spark memories and conversations.
Loved ones of these residents have been involved in the creation of the boxes, which has been a lovely way to connect family and friends on their dementia journey, while reminiscing on happy memories.
Other initiatives at Henley House include dementia ‘cards’ for when residents go out and about. These will have a dementia symbol on one side, as well as the address and phone number of their care home on the other. This is a move to ensure the safety of the resident, should they become disorientated whilst out and about.
Emma Mackenzie-Bedford, home manager at Henley House, said:
In line with Alzheimer’s Society’s ethos, and to aid others in remembering that every person with dementia has a story to tell, Henley House has adopted the Forget-Me-Not as our symbol to show colleagues, other residents, and visitors that some of our residents need to have extra support, and that their stories should never be forgotten.”
