The Restaurant that Makes Mistakes

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Did anyone watch this programme last night on Channel 4?

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-progr...rant-that-makes-mistakes--series-1-episode-1/

I thought it was a superb project but my heart was in my mouth and I was nervous too much was being asked of people with dementia.

There will be four episodes and obviously, the series was recorded. I expect there will be some significant outcome otherwise the programme would not be televised.

Definitely worth watching.
 

Sam Luvit

Registered User
Oct 19, 2016
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East Sussex
I watched it, but I too was worried about the stresses @Grannie G

Listening to Avril (the gynaecologist) not being able to find her things & believing someone had moved her locker was like listening to my mum :(

I think it “might” help people understand a bit more ... I hope it does o_O
 

Izzy

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Aug 31, 2003
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I haven't watched it. I still find it hard to watch programmes about dementia. I hope it raises awareness and understanding.
 

myss

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Jan 14, 2018
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I watched it last night. I thought it was a nice idea and it was portrayed in 'sweet' way like other CH4 programmes like First Dates, so I'm not expecting to see it go into any harder hitting behaviours or issues than confidence, depression and memory loss.

I've never heard of a dementia-trained chef before, I wished the programme had expanded on that, and the patience shown by the owner/head chef was good. I hope they'll bring in trolleys to help the volunteers bring food and take plates from the tables - I felt nervous for them!

Overall a nice watch and looking forward to the other episodes but wished they showed more of the other helpers they said were there to assist the volunteers. Apart from that brief mention, you would have bought that only the two chefs and the volunteers were in working in there!
 

Beate

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May 21, 2014
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London
I haven't watched it. I tried but I don't like the idea of parading people with dementia in front of a camera so other people can go "oh look, how sad/brave!" I watched Wild Bill instead which was excellent. Rob Lowe still has it...
 

imthedaughter

Registered User
Apr 3, 2019
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They've recruited people with dementia diagnoses to volunteer 'to show that people with dementia can make a valuable contribution to society'. While I don't doubt that this is indeed the case, and I agree that workplaces could make more adjustments for people with dementia, I did struggle a bit with some of the portrayals.

For example, I got the impression from the way the programme was edited that the chap who was having difficulty writing things down could write if only he could get his confidence back. I'm not sure this is actually true: if the part of your brain which had the writing bit in has been damaged by dementia, can it come back? My dad can still play piano but I don't expect that when he loses that skill (and hopefully that won't happen for a long time) that it will come back.

In the end, another volunteer, who can write, went over with him to scribe while he chatted to the customers about their order. A good solution but he wandered about, even looking like he was going to leave the premises, obviously in some distress, for some time before that happened. Admittedly I don't know that much about dementia but I found the way it was framed quite odd as although I appreciate the restaurant's ability to raise the confidence of the volunteers overall, I wouldn't want the programme giving false hope to their relatives with dementia over what they are capable of and what will help slow down the decline.

Hope I'm not being a Debbie Downer here- what did you all think of the programme?
 
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Jaded'n'faded

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Jan 23, 2019
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High Peak
I haven't watched it. I tried but I don't like the idea of parading people with dementia in front of a camera so other people can go "oh look, how sad/brave!" I watched Wild Bill instead which was excellent. Rob Lowe still has it...

I won't be watching it either, for similar reasons. (Saw the trailers - that was enough.) By all means go ahead with the project - I am sure it will have (some) value to those involved. Just don't film it and show it on the telly. It just turns dementia into a gawping freak show.

I can't help wondering how they'd go on making the programme again in a year with the same people... (Yes, we'll have her, she's quite smiley. Oh no, not that one - he's a bit unpredictable. Stick with the presentable ones otherwise the whole thing will fall apart and viewers will be horrified. And it was such a nice idea... No **** Sherlock.)

Agree about Rob Lowe.... ;)
 

father ted

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Aug 16, 2010
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London
I saw most of it and found it interesting but.....

It was fairly typical fare that comes from Channel 4- I don't know who dreams up the titles but they always seem a bit 'barbed'- think The Undateables.
I also wondered why they chose that enviroment as a setting- one which is very stressful and relies on good memory and multi tasking- was it to deliberately highlight their deficits? Thank God Gordon Ramsey wasn't running it! I am sure some of those taking part would have done much better in a different setting.
I much prefer watching Pru & Tim's canal journeys- we all know she has dementia and reference is made to it but it is not geared to highlighting when she 'fails' and just concentrates on their shared passion for their lifelong hobby.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Just to clarify.

The purpose of the project was to try to find out if people with dementia below retirement age, ie young onset are made to give up work too soon. It wants to see if adjustments in the workplace could enable them to stay in employment longer.

This has nothing to do with benefits, it is to support people who feel they could still do their jobs and are on the scrap heap too early .

I usually find some programmes far too upsetting and do not watch them. Because all the people with dementia on this programme were younger, I steeled myself and in fact was more objective because theirs was not my experience.

I have yo say, however able they were, they were all exhausted by the end of the day because they had to put so much effort into trying to do well.

There was some lovely camaraderie among them which touched my heart.
 

imthedaughter

Registered User
Apr 3, 2019
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Just to clarify.

The purpose of the project was to try to find out if people with dementia below retirement age, ie young onset are made to give up work too soon. It wants to see if adjustments in the workplace could enable them to stay in employment longer.

This has nothing to do with benefits, it is to support people who feel they could still do their jobs and are on the scrap heap too early .

I usually find some programmes far too upsetting and do not watch them. Because all the people with dementia on this programme were younger, I steeled myself and in fact was more objective because theirs was not my experience.

I have yo say, however able they were, they were all exhausted by the end of the day because they had to put so much effort into trying to do well.

There was some lovely camaraderie among them which touched my heart.
Totally agree. It's early onset, which is only one part of dementia. I did wonder though if you sat my dad behind the bar if he would go back into landlord mode quite happily and pour everyone drinks! Workplaces clearly could make more 'reasonable adjustments'.
 

DennyD

Registered User
Dec 6, 2016
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Porthcawl, South Wales
Viewers should understand that it was done in a controlled environment. All staff were affected by dementia, all involved knew this, including customers. So the support needed to do tasks and the emotional support were there. It cannot therefore reflect an actual working environment where the person with dementia is faced with a very different situation in terms of both colleagues and the management. It was a small step in raising awareness but within the wrong setting. As with these programmes there is a danger in portraying a false reality.
 

Bunpoots

Volunteer Host
Apr 1, 2016
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Nottinghamshire
I've watched the programme now and I also feel that a restaurant setting is very a challenging work environment (even for people without dementia) both physically and mentally. I though some of the people did very well but others obviously couldn't cope even with lots of support. I will be watching to see what conclusions are drawn by the end of the experiment.
 

Lyons

New member
Jun 17, 2019
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I won't be watching it either, for similar reasons. (Saw the trailers - that was enough.) By all means go ahead with the project - I am sure it will have (some) value to those involved. Just don't film it and show it on the telly. It just turns dementia into a gawping freak show.

I can't help wondering how they'd go on making the programme again in a year with the same people... (Yes, we'll have her, she's quite smiley. Oh no, not that one - he's a bit unpredictable. Stick with the presentable ones otherwise the whole thing will fall apart and viewers will be horrified. And it was such a nice idea... No **** Sherlock.)

Agree about Rob Lowe.... ;)
Agree with you 100%
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
The second programme was televised last night.

In the main, it sounded as if the roles allocated matched as near as possible to the skills each individual has been able to hold on to.

I have to admit most of my misgivings were outweighed by the comments and reactions of the people with dementia themselves.
Most felt they had benefitted, had a sense of achievement and improved self-esteem.

Next week they will be on their own, without the support of the chef who has trained and supported them. My heart will be well and truly in my mouth for them. It might be a step too far and I hope I`m proved wrong.
 

Jaded'n'faded

Registered User
Jan 23, 2019
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High Peak
The second programme was televised last night.

In the main, it sounded as if the roles allocated matched as near as possible to the skills each individual has been able to hold on to.

I have to admit most of my misgivings were outweighed by the comments and reactions of the people with dementia themselves.
Most felt they had benefitted, had a sense of achievement and improved self-esteem.

Next week they will be on their own, without the support of the chef who has trained and supported them. My heart will be well and truly in my mouth for them. It might be a step too far and I hope I`m proved wrong.

Why do this? Why set these people up to fail? What on earth is the point of 'testing them' to see how much they mess up?

Sorry but I really don't like this. By all means organise the project, just don't televise it.
 
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myss

Registered User
Jan 14, 2018
449
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The second programme was televised last night.

In the main, it sounded as if the roles allocated matched as near as possible to the skills each individual has been able to hold on to.

I have to admit most of my misgivings were outweighed by the comments and reactions of the people with dementia themselves.
Most felt they had benefitted, had a sense of achievement and improved self-esteem.

Next week they will be on their own, without the support of the chef who has trained and supported them. My heart will be well and truly in my mouth for them. It might be a step too far and I hope I`m proved wrong.
I watched the second programme too and have a little more misgivings than I originally had! It may be just me and what I have experienced through caring and hearing experiences of other carers but I just find it hard to believe the volunteers could handle these roles with just minor errors and with only the owner and a 'dementia-trained' chef on hand.

I understand that the volunteers are at the early stage of the illness but we've seen their levels of forgetfulness and I'm surprised that, for example, they remember the precise way to prepare food to receive such professional food reviews.
The first episode mentioned other helpers but they're not shown at all. And with the next episode being touted as the volunteers 'going it alone', I feel the programme may be giving a wrong but better impression of this experiment.
 

myss

Registered User
Jan 14, 2018
449
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I'm surprised there isn't more comment on the show since its last episode this week. Oh well, I'd say this, I am pleased that some (most?) felt that they got something out of working at the restaurant and, as shown as the end of the episode, that they went on to do other work, and some stayed in contact. But you know my little bugbear - that the episode showed a more realistic picture of the illness and the support they needed. Good luck to them all.