14 October 2024: Walfinch home care East Barnet is offering days out to people it cares for – with lasting benefits.
 
“Our client Michael did his National Service in the RAF and has always been interested in aircraft, so our carer Saqib took him to visit London's RAF Museum,” says Marcelo Navarro, franchisee Managing Director of Walfinch East Barnet. “He has not forgotten it, even though he has dementia, and still talks about it three weeks after the visit.”
 
The museum exhibits include a Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Messerschmitt, and Fiat Falco, plus the wooden-bodied de Havilland Mosquito, nicknamed ‘The Wooden Wonder’. Marcelo says: “Michael explained what they were and where they came from.”
 
In summer Marcelo and his team, working alongside Dementia Club UK, took a group of clients and family members to Brighton,  “After a fish and chip lunch they were excited to see crabs, lobsters, fish and turtles, at the aquarium, then ate ice-creams on the pier,” he says. “It was the first time some of them had seen the sea for decades – and we enjoyed community singing in the bus, which is proven to bring health benefits.”
 
Benefits for clients and families
 
Marcelo says days out bring numerous benefits to clients and their families. “Some of the people we care for have quite routine lives, and days out are a wake-up call, triggering  enthusiasm for fresh experiences and new places.” Families appreciate it, as they know that their loved ones are in the hands of professional carers. Carers, who volunteer to accompany clients on outings, enjoy them too.
 
The experiences open up client-carer conversations, so both get to know each other better. “We always tell new carers which activities clients have done, so there is something to talk about as soon as they meet,” says Marcelo.
 
Walfinch East Barnet also offers spa days, when hairdressers and podiatrists visit clients. “A change of look boosts their self-confidence and mental health, and afterwards they are likely to take better care of themselves,” Marcelo says. Carers also take some clients to a local memory cafe for dance classes weekly.
 
Even small changes to routine can have lasting effects. “One gentleman had been going to his usual supermarket for years, but asked his carer to take him to the new one I had mentioned to him. He was impressed by the new facilities and different products and he and the carer had lunch in the cafe. He's still talking about it. It's a small change but makes life more interesting and boosts communication between clients and carers,” says Marcelo.
 
Before Christmas Walfinch East Barnet will offer clients the chance to visit Kew Gardens to see the Christmas lights switched on.
 
“People are often surprised that care providers can deliver activities like this, so we are changing the image of care too,” says Marcelo.