Now Offering One Week Holiday Stays

I recently attended the monthly Make Memories Matter carers support meeting organised by Louise Kelly, which takes place on the third Friday of the month 2-3pm at Bridges Café in Fordingbridge.  Make Memories Matter is a charity that holds a weekly day centre, on Fridays, at Avonway in Fordingbridge for adults with dementia, allowing their carers to get a well-deserved break. 

At Oak Mount Care Home in Ringwood, we understand how challenging it can be to look after someone with dementia. While I was at the carers meeting I met some of the unsung heroes who look after their loved ones 24/7, and I was impressed by how stoic and dedicated they were. It was an emotional get-together where it became clear that some of the carers were tired but were finding it difficult to step back to look after themselves. Some of the carers spoke quite candidly about how difficult it had been when they first started visiting Louise’s day centre with their, sometimes reluctant, loved one. However, now that Louise has got to know them and settled them in, everyone is benefiting from a little break. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

As a result of this meeting, and our discussions with Louise, we have changed our thinking on the type of respite stays we offer. Respite stays at Oak Mount Care Home are mini-holidays for a variety of reasons, not least to give carers a break. We will now offer shorter stays for as little as 1 week. This can be a one-off stay or regular breaks in the future, for as long or short as needed.  Of course our respite package includes a full care plan developed between our Manager Debbie and the primary care giver to ensure needs are fully met. 

A bit like Make Memories Matter, we have a very friendly and relaxed environment where a week will fly by allowing carers to recharge. Josie, our Activities Coordinator organises a variety of fun and engaging activities that are tailored to individual preferences, which include anything from music, exercise, quizzes etc to keep the mind and body active.