30/07/2025
💬🧠 💙✨
Today, we're honoured to share a heartfelt reflection from one of our amazing carers. While thinking deeply about what dementia means to her, she wrote this beautiful piece to express her experiences and the impact of meaningful connection through care.
To me, this is what dementia represents- the gradual loss, often in later life, of the ability to remember the present, to follow direction, and to think clearly without confusion.
During my time with Bluebird, I’ve had the joy of meeting many clients - both men and women who shared their interests, their hobbies, and their frustration at no longer being able to enjoy them as they once did.
I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day when a lady tapped me on the shoulder and thanked me for helping her mother in her final days. I made her day when I mentioned Southend Pier and ice cream. She lit up with delight, recalling her childhood, her parents, and the smell of the seaside.
Knowing I made that connection - made a difference and meant so much to me.
Another gentleman, a retired butcher, shared how he used to cycle at 2 a.m. to collect meat and then ride back to his shop in the old East End. All he really wanted was someone to listen.
I also spent time with a highly educated lady who felt lost with modern technology, but she found joy remembering her typewriter and shorthand- both of which I’d used myself many years ago.
I’ve found that being genuinely interested in someone’s hobbies brings a whole new meaning to care.
Birdwatching. Drawing. Listening to music. Doing puzzles. And of course, pets - who bring comfort and companionship to so many.
Let us never forget: everyone is human, everyone has a personality, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
