Digital ways of keeping in touch are vital for many of our residents and families whether using What’sApp, Facetime or even a telephone call.
 
However, the team at Headingley Hall have gone back to basics over the last few weeks and set up a Postcard writing scheme. Kate, one of our wonderful Activity Co-ordinators has been helping residents to write postcards to their relatives with a loving message and adding a lovely photo of them. The first set of postcards will have landed on doorsteps this week and we are sure receiving a message through the post will brighten families day at this time.
 
We’ve also been busy developing visual ‘life stories’ for our residents. Our General manager Sharon Earnshaw and Nicola Lomas (Senior Carer) instigated the project whereby we connect with our residents, their families and friends to gather together pictures and stories into a wonderful visual depiction of their life experiences. These are then kept on file so staff can better understand about the lives of the people they are supporting and caring for.
 
Sharon and Nicola felt that if these life stories were visual, they would improve and give residents and staff more meaningful conversation when either personal care was delivered in the rooms or general visits by other members of staff from different departments.  These visual life stories give staff an opportunity to start conversation with the residents about their past history, their families and assist the resident to remember important moments in their lives.
 
We’ve also found that by doing the project together with Gurjit from our House-Keeping team (pictured here), it enables the resident to enjoy social interaction by assisting them to chat about their past. With visits from families limited at this time due to COVID it’s also enabling the resident to remember their family, talk about them share their feelings about the current situation.