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Joanna
Community Engagement Support Worker
Jane Spencer
Activity Provider
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I would like to thank you all for everything you've done to help people like us, giving us the new ideas and confidence to carry on doing what we do. As you must be aware it's not the easiest job in the world, especially trying to get a smile out of someone. I wish you all the possible good wishes for the future and do hope you will continue for many years to come.
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Hi guys from England! I need help and thought I'd ask if anyone has a solution to a challenging situation.
My role is that of community engagement support worker. I work for a charity who provides the care in an extra care facility & the building is managed by another charity which I'll refer to as the landlord.
Residents have asked for a bbq to be held on the top floor balcony which is a large horse shoe area. They have been told that it's not likely to happen as they are vulnerable adults, which I find difficult as not all residents are vulnerable & they would be able to hold a bbq on their own balconies. Any ideas how to approach this? Thank you so much in advance. Jo x
Hi Jo. Here in Australia we have a company called Bunnings (a large hardware retail store chain). They run sausage sizzles on their sites but will also come out to aged care facilities to run sausage sizzles on their sites too. Could you run a Family fun day on a weekend, liaise with the local community, perhaps you have a business like a Bunnings that can run a sausage sizzle on your site (bring their own BBQ etc) Liaise with the local schools/ dance schools/ sing schools to get the local kids along to do a dance show/ music show/ choir show and provide the energy that youth brings. Make it a success, take lots of photos and resident testimonies of what a great day it was? Having a BBQ on site for a quarterly friends and families of the residents BBQ is a great opportunity to find volunteers too! Hope this helps in some way.
Hi Joanna, that is a difficult situation. Management are being extra careful which is understandable and obviously, there must be more to it than just saying, no - "for their own sake". There are some legitimate reasons to restrict a small number of elders from engaging in certain activities. But that should not be the rule; what about independence, autonomy and control over their own lives that is so much talked about and encouraged? There should be a careful balancing act between the risks and the benefits relating to activities. Of course, running a safe facility is definitely a priority, but it is not the only role that care organizations have. Encouraging residents to be involved in their own care and entertainment would reward the facility with happier clients.