Founded by community and dementia specialist nurse Claire Taylor, Wildflowers is a unique dementia respite service based in the Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire border area. The service offers bespoke day respite care with a focus on enrichment activities that improve quality of life and wellbeing.
What form the enrichment takes is led by the individual and can change organically in harmony with a client’s needs. It may include activities like reminiscence, using music or images to prompt engagement or getting out to enjoy some time in a natural environment. But a core element of Claire’s enrichment process is storytelling.
“I love stories. Storytelling is a fundamentally human trait and can help foster engagement and connection, combat feelings of isolation and depression, and have cognitive benefits. All of which are particularly important for people living with dementia. Whether they’re our own personal narratives or works of fiction, stories can take us anywhere.”
After years spent supporting people living with dementia and their families, Claire has seen the benefits of providing creative, person-centred care.
“For me, care means seeing the person, not their diagnosis. I like to connect with the individual in order to build an enrichment plan that fits their personality and draws on their life experiences, personality and preferences. No two plans are the same. It’s about creating a therapeutic relationship and developing activities that uniquely suit the person and benefit their wellbeing.”
You can find out more on the Wildflowers Facebook page or contact Claire on 07956 817464 or at writetowildflowers@gmail.com.
