To support an increase in a persons sense of wellbeing and to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, research have found that providing everyday activities can improve the quality of life for residents with dementia. At Ixworth Court, the care is provided by meeting a persons’ individual needs in an environment which is the ‘expected environment and providing a person with socially relevant activities such as offering a cup of tea in the moment that they should expect this need to be met. Taking a cup of tea to a person sitting in their bedroom does not meet the needs of a person with dementia as this is simply not expected.
We set the table for breakfast and lunch we sit at the table, we offer tea in an environment which looks like a kitchen and feels like a persons kitchen in their home. These social relevant activities are offered to the residents as daily therapy and are an alternatives to using antipsychotic medications in care homes which are used to settle the confusion, there is no confusion here. The staff support the residents feel safe as they show how the kitchen is managed and provide socially relevant activity such as offering a cup of tea in an area which feels like an expected environment, our kitchen table.