Another night where I couldn't sleep very well - I think it is always when I know I have to get up early in the morning. This morning Mary went back to school - new class and new teacher. She still isn't feeling too good but went off with Sara at 8.30 a.m. I left the house at around 9.20 a.m. all dressed up in my masonic finery as I was representing Wiltshire Masters' Lodge at a late morning/lunchtime meeting of Dorset Masters' in Kinson, north Bournemouth. Despite heavy traffic in Salisbury and roadworks on the Salisbury-Ringwood road, I made it to Kinson by 10.30 a.m. to find the car park already full up. I managed to park in a side road about 100 yards from the masonic hall so all was okay. The meeting was very well attended - something which surprised me for a midday meeting in the middle of a working week. Extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate everybody. The meeting was presided over by the Provincial Grand Master for Dorset and we were given a really good talk by the Chairman of the RMBI (Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute) about how the various sheltered homes have been adapted for dementia sufferers. I was very impressed indeed by what I heard. Such care and thought - for example each dementia resident has their door painted as at home with a number they will remember e.g. if they lived at 42 Acacia Avenue with a green door then their door in the home would be painted green and bear the number 42. Outside each room by the door is a memory box containing reminders from their life e.g. a photo of their favourite car or person or something else which they will associate with themselves. I was also interested to know that dementia patients should not have mirrors in their homes. This is because most sufferers believe themselves to be aged between 26 and 36 and simply would get confused by seeing an older person in the mirror. Really impressive that so much care is taken. We followed this excellent talk by an excellent lunch of chicken and seasonal vegetables etc. The meeting ended at 2.30 p.m. and I drove to Christchurch to do some banking. It was very nostalgic walking along the High Street for two reasons -
firstly because it reminded me so much of holidays down there when I was younger with my parents and also it was the last place I visited with Sara before I met her father for the first time on the same day. The weather was hot and sunny adding to the illusion of a summer holiday. I checked that the Bournemouth trolleybus turntable was still in situ - it is. There is, in fact, a plaque on the building now occupying the site stating that the turntable is still there - preserved. Unfortunately it is in an enclosed private car park and no longer accessible to the public. I drove back home through Mudeford noting that the Stanpit Fisheries is now under new ownership (Alexandra's) and the former caravan site we stayed at as children is now an estate of bungalows similar to New Waltham, Grimsby. We were due to have a House group tonight but only James turned up. We used the opportunity to plan out the Lion's Head Quiz we are hosting in December. Tomorrow I have Ambassadors' again followed by some golf at Wilton. The weather is promised to be hot and dry again.
Another night where I couldn't sleep very well - I think it is always when I know I have to get up early in the morning. This morning Mary went back to school - new class and new teacher. She still isn't feeling too good but went off with Sara at 8.30 a.m. I left the house at around 9.20 a.m. all dressed up in my masonic finery as I was representing Wiltshire Masters' Lodge at a late morning/lunchtime meeting of Dorset Masters' in Kinson, north Bournemouth. Despite heavy traffic in Salisbury and roadworks on the Salisbury-Ringwood road, I made it to Kinson by 10.30 a.m. to find the car park already full up. I managed to park in a side road about 100 yards from the masonic hall so all was okay. The meeting was very well attended - something which surprised me for a midday meeting in the middle of a working week. Extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate everybody. The meeting was presided over by the Provincial Grand Master for Dorset and we were given a really good talk by the Chairman of the RMBI (Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute) about how the various sheltered homes have been adapted for dementia sufferers. I was very impressed indeed by what I heard. Such care and thought - for example each dementia resident has their door painted as at home with a number they will remember e.g. if they lived at 42 Acacia Avenue with a green door then their door in the home would be painted green and bear the number 42. Outside each room by the door is a memory box containing reminders from their life e.g. a photo of their favourite car or person or something else which they will associate with themselves. I was also interested to know that dementia patients should not have mirrors in their homes. This is because most sufferers believe themselves to be aged between 26 and 36 and simply would get confused by seeing an older person in the mirror. Really impressive that so much care is taken. We followed this excellent talk by an excellent lunch of chicken and seasonal vegetables etc. The meeting ended at 2.30 p.m. and I drove to Christchurch to do some banking. It was very nostalgic walking along the High Street for two reasons -
firstly because it reminded me so much of holidays down there when I was younger with my parents and also it was the last place I visited with Sara before I met her father for the first time on the same day. The weather was hot and sunny adding to the illusion of a summer holiday. I checked that the Bournemouth trolleybus turntable was still in situ - it is. There is, in fact, a plaque on the building now occupying the site stating that the turntable is still there - preserved. Unfortunately it is in an enclosed private car park and no longer accessible to the public. I drove back home through Mudeford noting that the Stanpit Fisheries is now under new ownership (Alexandra's) and the former caravan site we stayed at as children is now an estate of bungalows similar to New Waltham, Grimsby. We were due to have a House group tonight but only James turned up. We used the opportunity to plan out the Lion's Head Quiz we are hosting in December. Tomorrow I have Ambassadors' again followed by some golf at Wilton. The weather is promised to be hot and dry again.
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