News’

Telehealth Service to be withdrawn.

We have been using a Telehealth system which was set up to help us care for people living in the home.  For certain people we were able to monitor oxygen levels, test samples and take blood pressure with the support from Telehealth. This enabled us to get a medical help for our residents quickly.

Unfortunately due to health cuts in the National Health Service this has now been withdrawn.

We are very disappointed that this service is to be withdrawn. We hope to keep some of the equipment so we can take readings and inform GP’s with this information to help get treatment quickly.    Eves & Mel

Bodmin Cycle Town Road Works

If you are having trouble getting to us, because of the road closures in Bodmin while the Cycle Town Road Works are in progress, please ring us so we can advise you the best ways to get here.

Care Certificate Award

We are very pleased to announce that Amelia has worked hard to achieve her Care Certificate Award. She is shown here being presented with it by Eves, our Manager.

Bodmin Dementia Action Alliance Steering Group Meeting

Notes from
Bodmin Dementia Action Alliance Steering Group Meeting
27 January 2016
(A dementia friendly community is a place where there is a greater awareness and understanding of dementia and individuals living with dementia, and their carers, feel supported to remain independent and have choice and control over their lives)
Attendees
Sara Kinsman Bodmin Town Council
David Gay Bodmin Spiritualist Church
Julie Anderson Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Karen Thomas Castle Hill House
Peter Davison Age UK
Yvonne Cocklin Bodmin Museum
Eves Carkeek The White House
Wendy Brewin Sensory Trust
Sue Garner Age UK
Shirley Mewton Dementia Action Alliance
Karen Stanford Memory Matters
Pamela Warren Memory Matters
Clare Swettenham Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust
Jacqui Gammon Bodmin Town Council
Nick Swettenham Bodmin Town Council
Monica Mudge Age UK

Apologies
Tim Jones Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Dave Hollyoak Cornwall Fire Service
Brenda Harris Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Dorothy Andrews Carer
Brenda Keen
Graham Hudson NSL Care Services
Judith Campbell
Viv Legg
Diane and Roger Gerry
Jean Cousins
Natalie Fell
John Townley Light and Life Church

In attendance

1) Welcome and introductions
Sara Kinsman welcomed all to the meeting of Bodmin Dementia Action Alliance Steering Group, (the Group), welcomed new members and advised that the meeting would focus on encouraging businesses to join the Alliance and consideration of a launch event. Sara confirmed that the meeting would finish by 9pm.
Sara also confirmed that Shirley Mewton had been successful in securing funding from the Alzheimer’s Society to allow her to continue in her role to promote the development of Dementia Action Alliances.

2) New Alliance members
Sara advised that Bodmin Museum had officially joined the Alliance and that Cllr Gammon had been successful in securing the commitment of Bodmin Town Council to join also.

3) Minutes and updates on actions
Sara took those present through the outstanding actions and updates were provided, where possible:

• Development of a survey – in progress Karen and Peter awaiting contact details of a carer who had offered to support
• Talking to Castle Hill residents. Karen and Yvonne advised that they had established monthly Reminiscence sessions which would begin in March. These sessions would look at old photographs and artefacts to stimulate memories. Karen also advised that Castle Hill House were intending to set up a 1940/1950s room and that they were seeking donations of artefacts from that era. Karen had placed an article in the Cornish Guardian explaining what the intention was and requesting donation of items. Karen also advised that she had been to Somerton where a Nursing Home had developed a village referencing a previous era. Group members made suggestions in relation to accessing items, such as contacting auctioneers and charity shops. A suggestion was also made that old fashioned labels could be downloaded from the internet
• Dementia Friends Awareness sessions – Sara advised that the Council members and staff were keen to receive awareness sessions and asked whether Clare would be willing to undertake any evening dates and with Graham possibly supporting sessions during the day. Clare agreed for Sara to pass her email to Council staff to begin making the arrangements.
• Awareness session for Nanstallon School – Cllr Gammon advised that she would be discussing at a school meeting next month.
• Bodmin Town Council – As previously stated Bodmin Town Council had agreed to officially join the Alliance

4) Getting organisations/businesses on board
Agreement for Clare, Yvonne and Graham to plan and contact businesses to encourage them to sign up to Bodmin Dementia Action Alliance. To join the Alliance the form, in the following link, should be completed:

http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/join_the_alliance

5) Launch event
Sara led the Group discussion with regard to organising, and holding, a launch event suggesting that the event could take one of a number of forms, being:
FORMAL

1. Welcome
2. Introduction to what is dementia? Possibly Dementia Action Alliance
3. Talk from a carer or person living with dementia perspective
4. Introduction to Dementia Action Alliance and Bodmin DAA
5. Dementia Friends Session and cognitive stimulation exercises
6. Invite organisations , businesses or other DAA to explain how organisations have become involved ie St Austell Library
7. Questions and Sign up

Maybe stalls around the venue from Informal section below
INFORMAL – what support is there for people living with dementia and their carers

1. Invite key partner organisations –
a. Befriending groups
b. Walking group
c. Age UK
d. Memory Matters
e. Enable
f. Dementia Action Alliance
g. Fire
h. Primary Care Dementia Practitioners
i. Carers’ Group
j. Lasting Power of Attorney
k. Nursing homes
l. Lunch club

MIXTURE OF ABOVE

The Group agreed an informal approach with the event being held on 14 May 2016. Agreement was reached to invite representatives from the groups listed in the ‘Informal’ list above. In addition the following suggestions were made to help develop the event:

• Hold the event on the Mount Folly
• Approach TecBuild to see if they could loan their marquee
• Approach Jai Jeweller to determine if he wishes to be involved
• Approach Cornwall Creative Dementia Alliance
• Approach Lost Threads
• Consider a Dementia Bus which is laid out with headphones which aim to demonstrate what it is like to live with dementia (seen on BBC)
• Consider Dumpy Bus
• Consider Vintage cars
• Consider Bodmin Town Band
• Consider a traction engine
• Consider selling tea, coffee and cakes (or maybe a donation)
• Consider back to back dementia friends awareness sessions
• Publicise well – Cornish Guardian, North Cornwall Advertiser, Banner, Facebook, Radio Cornwall
• Consider approaching Scary Little Girls
• Liaise with Tavistock DAA to identify what they did for their launch event
• Consider handing out certificates at the event for the first 25 businesses who sign up to become part of the Alliance
• Develop posters to publicise event, maybe ask General Practitioners to display
• Consider contacting a ‘celebrity’ to open, or speak, at the event (maybe Mary Jones, Jennifer Bute or someone from Wendy’s group
• Approach Wiltshire Farm Foods
• Sara mentioned that she needed to identify what the insurance and environmental health requirements were.
• Eves mentioned that she knew someone who may be prepared to make a cake in the form of the Dementia flower.
• Karen mentioned that it may be an idea to see if Proper Cornish could donate some pasties
• Clare mentioned that she would try to get ‘stickers’ for businesses who signed up to the Alliance
• Peter mentioned that he would approach one of the Lodges to determine if they would be prepared to make a donation.
• Agreement was made for Clare, Yvonne, Peter and Sara to form a small group to develop the launch event whilst keeping remaining members involved.
Sara advised that she had contacted Kate Mitchell at NHS Kernow to determine if she wanted to be involved, however, Kate was not available but she did provide the name of the local Alzheimer’s Society manager Teresa.parsons@alzheimers.org.uk
6) Any other business
Eves suggested getting as many people as possible to sign up to the Dementia Friends website. Once registered people would receive information emails. Eves offered to supply the link so that group members could sign up. https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/

A discussion was also held in relation to what advice people should be given if they identified someone who may require help. It was agreed that it would be difficult to provide advice in these instances but that people should be encouraged to have a discussion with their General Practitioner. Shirley mentioned that she had a number of leaflets to support customer facing organisations and that she would forward to Sara.

St Austell Library
Sara advised that St Austell Library were running Dementia with Dignity events. Wendy advised that the Library had been successful in securing funding.

Bodmin Walking Group
Sara also advised that the above group was holding a walk on the 8 February and 22 February.

7) Dates of next meetings

All to be held in the Shire House Suite at 7pm

Wednesday 16 March 2016
Tuesday 24 May 2016
Wednesday 6 July 2016
Wednesday 21 September 2016
Wednesday 23 November 2016

Moments of breath and hand jive with Jane Devlin

Our residents enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with Jane Devlin.

Pictures are to follow and Jane has been invited back!

Ten Tors – Sunday 17th May 2015

Employer of the Month

TEN TORS – 17th May 2015

We have entered four teams so far for this years Ten Tors Walk.

We will be funding raising for the Residents Fund  whose chosen project is to provide some raised flower beds.