Thank you to all the welcoming and wonderful care homes that have just hosted Mischief, our performance for people with sensory issues, learning disabilities and/or autism, and those living with dementia, which has toured the West Midlands.
Performed by Angela Laverick and Graeme Rose, the three week tour has taken us to eight care homes - Riversway Care Home, Peaker Park Care Home, Charnwood Oaks Care Home, Woodville Care Home, Springhill Care Home, Hawkhurst Care Home, Birch Green Care Home (all PrimeLife) and Rutland Care Village. We've performed the interactive show for residents, as well as leading staff training, based on skills of empathy, insight, listening and trust building in dementia care. All care home residents and staff have welcomed us warmly and given us such positive feedback, so thank you!
The most important feedback comes from residents. Here's some of what was said after the Mischief show:
Fred "loved the music and ribbons and colour"
Joy "liked the puppet faces"
Colleen said it was "something we all did together and I could do the same as everyone else"
Jennie "Absolutely loved it, her favourite was going under the parachute as she felt fully included in the activity"
Joyce said, "Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, it made me smile all the way through"
Dot said it was "very funny and it made her afternoon happy"
In answer to our two questions, "How many residents said they enjoyed the activity?" and "How many residents said they would like to see it again?", 103 residents answered yes to both, one answering 'don't know'.
Mischief is part of our Culture Change in Dementia Care initiative, which focuses on new models of community-based care highlighting genuine, truthful connection, based on skills of empathy, insight, listening and trust building. We've developed workshop and performance modules, assets and bespoke packages for dementia care settings, training organisations, conferences, individual carers and other health settings, which help promote a compassionate, person-centred approach to dementia care. This tour brings together our Listening with your Eyes training for carers, alongside Mischief, a workshop which demonstrates our non verbal care in action.
Thank you to all the dedicated staff for being so welcoming and open, and in particular (as always) to Vicki Shaw (Primelife) for her continuing support and care.